


All is fair in love and war

by weddingbells



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Nanny, Flirting, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Sexual comments, Teasing, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-19
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-01-02 02:10:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1051304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weddingbells/pseuds/weddingbells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Nanny AU in which Louis is the sassy gay Nanny-by-accident taking care of the kids of movie director Harry Styles. Also there’s Liam as the butler, Niall as Louis’ best friend, Zayn as the model/actor and Nick as Harry’s partner from work that maybe wants a bit more from Harry than cooperation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I decided to rewatch The Nanny, because it is a funny show. Then I got the idea of an AU inspired by this show with One Direction, of course. And I started to figure out which of the guys that would fit in the roles of Fran, Niles, Mr. Sheffield, C.C:, Val and other people... And then I just couldn't stop writing. Here it is!  
> Thanks to my friends that have been encourging me to write (and finish) the first chapter. I hope to update regularly. Feedback is always really, really welcome and I would love it if you would leave a comment just to tell me if you like it or not, ideas on what else that could happen and so on!
> 
> This is fiction and should be treated as fiction and even if I wished it was true it isn't. I do not own the 1D-boys or Nick Grimshaw.

 

“Looking good.” Niall comments, not letting his eyes wander from the TV for one second. Louis sighs, then walk over to the TV and without even blinking turns it off. Niall sits up in shock, his blue eyes looking filled with betrayal as he watches Louis.

“Woah!” He says, dropping the controller to the PlayStation 3. “I was playing!”

“And now you’re not.” Louis says with a bittersweet smile to his friend as Niall grumpily crosses his arms over his chest. “Now you’re watching me.”

“Fuck you, Tommo.” Niall mutters and then he grins as he watches the other boy. “Okay, fine. I’m looking. What do you want me to look at?”

“This.” Louis says, grabbing hold of his bum and spinning around a few times for Niall to see. “Do these jeans make my ass look big?”

Niall smirks and then he laughs.

“Nah, mate. The way your ass is big makes it look big, don’t blame the jeans. I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” He laughingly adds when Louis threatens to throw a pillow at him. “You have a lovely bum, you know you do. Considering all the boys you bring home that tells you that, you should know so.”

“Niall!” Louis gasps, trying to look horrified. “Have you been eavesdropping in on my meetings?”

Niall snorts.

“Pfft, eavesdropping. I think it’s safe to say that when you orgasm, our walls, and rather our whole flat isn’t enough to keep me from the sounds. You’re a screamer, mate.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Louis says, batting his eyelashes as he fixes the collar of the shirt he’s wearing. “I am a saving myself until marriage kind of guy.”

“Right.” Niall says with a raised eyebrow. “And how many times have you been married now?”

“Shut up!” Louis says, and then he can’t help but laugh. “Seriously, now. Niall, how does this look? Good enough to land me the part?”

Niall grins and takes a proper look at Louis. Tight, red trousers, white shirt with blue stripes, suspenders and it looks like he’s spent most of the morning on his hair.

“Looks good enough to land you about anything you want.” He says and Louis smacks his lips, feeling pleased. “Wait, what is it you’re going for now again?”

Louis sighs and reaches for his jacket. It looks stylish, even though he thinks it’s a fake of a fake, but he pulls it off.

“I’ve told you a million times. Going to audition for that superhero movie. Styles’ new one.”

“Oh right, superhero Lou.” Niall smiles, clearly amused. “It will be good.”

“Darling, I will be smashing.” Louis winks and then he goes to check his reflection again.

 

\--

 

“I will never find the right person.” Harry sighs, tempted to just put his head down on his desk and sleep. Nick clears his throat.

“You haven’t even started with the auditions yet, Harry.”

“I know.” Harry grunts and resists temptation to put his head down. “But this part is so difficult. None of the known actors will be good enough.”

“Being a bit picky now, aren’t we?” Nick grins and flips through the applications he has in his hand. “I’m sure we will find someone.”

“Sir, your son is currently playing with your daughter.” Liam appears and Harry looks up, smiling.

“That’s great, Liam.”

“Oh and by playing, I mean pulling her hair until she cries.”

Harry groans and hides his face in his hand.

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

“Isn’t this your job?” Nick says, turned to Liam and Liam shakes his head.

“I’m a butler, not a nanny. The nanny quit.”

“Why?” Nick asks and Harry replies while he’s walking past him to get to the children’s room.

“He played with _her_ hair. Ashton, get off your sister!”

“Why didn’t he leave those kids with their mother?” Nick says and Liam snorts.

“Because he loves _them_ , Mr. Grimshaw. I bet you would be unfamiliar with the concept.”

He’s smirking on his way out of the room before Nick realises what he said.

 

\--

 

“Which movie director keeps auditions for the film in his own house?” A guy in front of Louis asks, and Louis sighs. Then the guy turns around and Louis doesn’t sigh anymore because _woah_ , that guy is the pure definition of sex god. He has black, stylish hair, leather jacket, trashed jeans and a red shirt, he looks like a proper hot bad boy complete with tattoos and everything. Louis does _not_ want to compete with that.

“Harry Styles.” He says instead, smirking slightly. “He does that all the time, probably because of his kids. You haven’t been to one of his auditions before, huh?”

“No.” The other guy admits. “It’s my first time auditioning for a film. I usually just do some modelling.”

 _I bet you do_ , Louis thinks and then he clears his throat.

“Oh it’s okay, I haven’t gone to audition for him either before actually, I’ve just heard people talking about it. I’m Louis by the way. Louis Tomlinson.”

“Zayn.” The supermodel says, with one perfect half smile. “Zayn Malik. Are you an actor then?”

“Trying to be.” Louis says. “This would be my first big film though, just been in some tv-shows and commercials earlier. And some plays.”

The line is long, really long and even though Louis is sure it isn’t like The X Factor or anything, it’s still a longer line than he’s used to and he’s happy that he’s got Zayn to chat to. It takes them 20 minutes just to be let into the house.

A man dressed in a black suit lets them in with a polite smile, checking their name.

“Hello, I am Liam. Mr. Styles and Mr. Grimshaw will call your name when it’s your turn.”

“Thank you, love.” Louis says and Liam smiles a little as he shows them where they can sit down.

The living room is huge, Louis is pretty sure you could fit his and Niall’s apartment in that alone. It’s cramped with people, all with muscles and good looks and he can’t help but to feel that he probably should have hit the gym a few more times than once last year. He tries to shake the feeling off though, he’s probably better than all of them.

“You wanna sit together?” He asks Zayn. “Or are you one of those people that need to focus and be alone before an audition?”

Zayn smiles.

“No, I would love to sit with you.”

“Great!” Louis says, and takes a look around. “Uhm, maybe we could sit…”

“There’s a spot over there.” Zayn says, pointing to one corner really close to what looks like the hallway and Louis smiles.

“Okay, let’s go before somebody else takes it.”

When they have been sitting down for another 30 minutes Louis yawns. He’s not good with waiting, really, and it feels like this takes forever. How many auditions did they need?

He’s about to practically give up that any of them are ever going to get to audition when a scrawny looking guy with brown hair calls Zayn’s name.

“That’s me.” Zayn says nervously. “Wish me luck?”

“Good luck, love.” Louis grins and watches Zayn walk into the other room with a bright smile on his face. He even walks pretty, Louis thinks and also feels kind of sure that he will never, ever get the party when he’s up against people like Zayn.

He sits back in the sofa, sighing and hoping that sometime in the next month, they will call his name.

 

\--

Louis is almost nodding off until he regains consciousness abruptly. There’s a scream coming from a little girl that catches Louis’ attention. He looks around but nobody else seems to notice it, and then he notices two children playing in the hallway, just outside what looks like a bedroom. There’s a boy holding on to her hair that is curly and blonde and she’s crying. Louis sighs and gets up to walk over to them.

“Woah, little friend.” Louis says, not really knowing why he felt the need to get into the situation but no one else seemed to bother and the girl was _crying_. She looked around 6 years old. The boy holding on to her hair looked around the same age, probably Styles’ kids Louis figured. “What’s with the hair? You haven’t got enough of your own?”

He smiles and ruffles the boy’s hair, dark, curly and long and he lets go of his sister, looking up at Louis with a pouty lip.

“No, she’s mean. She won’t let me play with her.”

“It’s because you’re no fun.” The girl says through the tears and then Louis feels her pressing against his leg, holding on to him. “He just makes fun of me and the dolls.”

The boy sticks out his tongue.

“You’re boring.”

The girl’s lip starts to tremble and Louis gets down to their height, looking at both of them with his arms around them.

“Now.” He says, in a calm voice that he knew worked at home when the twins used to fight. Kids were probably the same, wouldn’t be that much of a difference here. “What do you say about this deal, we come up with a game that we can all play and we will all be happy and no one will have to cry or get their hair pulled out. How does that sound?”

The boy looks like he’s considering what Louis is saying.

“Together?” The girl asks, looking up at him with big, blue eyes and Louis nods.

“Yes, sweetie, together. What do you say?”

She nods, and then the boy comes around to and he nods as Louis smiles.

“Good. Now, what do you like to play?”

“Pirates!” The girl says and the boy nods.

“Yes, yes, we’re pirates and you’re our prisoner!”

“Okay, woah, fine.” Louis grins and then without warning he has both of the kids clinging to him.

Just at that moment Liam walks into the room, stopping and looking mildly confused.

“Oh?”

“Liam, we’re pirates!” The girl says, big smile as her blonde curls bounce as she climbs on Louis. “He’s our prisoner!”

“Is that so, Demi?” Liam says with a smile. “And does Louis like to be a prisoner?”

“I’m down with it.” Louis smiles and then suddenly remembers that he is supposed to go to an audition. “Oh, right. Uhm. Do they want me to come out?”

“Liam, do you know where this Mr. Tomlinson is… Oh.”

Louis looks up again and suddenly the most handsome man he’s seen in a long, long time appears in the doorway. Long, curly hair, dressed in jeans with a white shirt and black jacket, looking just on the edge from professional to casual. Louis has to swallow which is unusual because he isn’t really one to get weak to the knees and affected by good looks, but _this_.

“Mr. Styles.” Louis says, now very worried that the fact that playing with his kids maybe isn’t what he had planned for him. “I… hi.”

“Hello.” Harry says, and he gives Liam an amused smile. “What’s going on here?”

“Daddy!!” Demi suddenly lets go of Louis and jumps up in her father’s arms instead. “Louis is playing pirates with us, we’re having so much fun!”

“You’re playing?” Harry asks, eyebrows raised. “No hair pulling?”

“No, Louis made me stop.” The boy explains. “We’re having fun instead.”

“That’s nice, Ashton.” Harry says and he gives Louis a look. “I must say I am impressed.”

Louis laughs nervously and gets up so that he’s standing as tall as he can towards Harry. Harry is way, way taller than he is but he could try anyway.

“Well, kids love me.” He says and then fires off one of his most precious smiles towards Harry. Harry smiles back.

“You don’t happen to be a nanny then?”

“Sir!” Liam protests but Harry ignores him. Louis blinks in surprise.

“Uhm… nanny?”

“I could very well use one.” Harry says, almost sighing but holding it in, probably because the kids are in the room. “The last one quit.”

“I pulled her hair.” Ashton says proudly. Louis can’t help but smile.

“Uhm, I’m an actor.” He says, as if Harry Styles doesn’t know that already. Harry smiles.

“I know that. Here for the role, right? I’m sorry, but I think we have already decided to give the part to this guy called Zayn. He is everything we could ask for.”

“Damn.” Louis sighs under his breath, remembers that there are kids in the room and laughs nervously. “Oh, I mean, that’s too bad. But he’s a nice bloke.”

“But that’s good Louis!” Ashton says, pulling at Louis’ arm. “You can be our nanny, please, Louis.”

Louis blinks in surprise. Harry smiles.

“I’ve never seen him grow quite so attached to someone this quickly, I must say.”

“Well I am _very_ likeable.” Louis says with a charming smile and Harry’s cheeks redden a little.

“Uhm… Maybe we should take this in my office?” He asks, and Louis blinks and realises that okay, they really are serious.

“Okay.” He says, thinking that he already is popular among the kids and Harry is awfully cuter than he thought he would be.

“Great.” Harry says, ignoring the look that Liam is giving him. “Liam, will you get the kids an afternoon snack?”

“Of course, sir.” Liam says and as Louis exits the room he whispers. “Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?”

“Don’t worry about me, darling.” Louis says and blinks. “I can do every part perfectly.”

 

\--

 

Harry leads Louis to a room that looks very much like an office. Louis can see the big brown desk before he even sets foot in the room.

“So.” He says, blinking. “Am I supposed to sit on your desk then in sexy outfits? Is that what a nanny does?”

Harry turns red and then there’s a cough from the sofa.

“I beg your pardon?!”

The guy from before that called Zayn’s name is sitting on the sofa, right now staring at both Harry and Louis like he can’t believe what is going on. Harry laughs nervously.

“Oh, Nick, I didn’t know you would still be in here, I thought you went home.”

“No, I thought I’d stay to help you with the paperwork and contracts.” Nick smiles way too sweetly and Louis feels a bit sick. “Who is this?”

“I am Louis.” Louis says, big smile. “I was an actor. Now I think I’m going to be a nanny.”

“A nanny?” Nick gets up from the sofa, and walks over to Harry. “This one?”

“I’m still here, love.” Louis says, not really liking people that talk about him like he’s not in the room. Harry looks nervous.

“Yes, Nick, a nanny. The kids loves Louis… Mr. Tomlinson.”

“I am _very_ loveable.” Louis says again, firing off his most precious smile towards Harry that makes Nick look furious. Louis loves it.

“I doubt it’s appropriate.” Nick says with a sweet voice.

“Ah, Nick, stop being difficult.” Harry says and walks past him and Louis can’t help but smirk as he follows Harry. Harry shows him a chair by the desk. “Please, Mr. Tomlinson, sit down.”

Louis can’t see the way Nick looks at him. But for some reason he doubts it’s a happy look, and so what if it makes Louis smile on the inside.

 

\--

“Do you really think that this is wise?” Nick asks Harry just as Louis has left, and Liam has brought them a cup of tea. Harry, helping Liam with the tray, raises his eyebrow to Nick.

“What do you mean?”

“That… nanny.” Nick says and his voice isn’t that sweet anymore. “Do you really think that he’s a good choice for the kids? I doubt his influence would be good on them.”

“Oh, what influence do you mean?” Liam says, playing surprised. “The influence of fun and the fact that he made them get a long for the first time since they were both in diapers is bad for them, you say?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Nick says, voice filled with poison as Harry can’t help but laugh to Liam’s comment. Completely ignoring Nick, he smiles towards Liam.

“They did like him awfully quickly, didn’t they?”

“Well, like he said sir.” Liam said, glancing over to Nick. “He is quite likable, that Louis Tomlinson.”

“Indeed.” Harry says, sipping his tea. “I told him he could take the guest room, make it his own.”

Nick almost drops his cup.

“You’re letting him move in?”

Harry stares at him.

“Well of course I’m letting him move in, Nick. It would be good for the children to have him around as much as possible, and he lives a bit far from here. It’s much easier like this.”

“But Harry.” Nick says, putting down his cup on the desk as his hands seems to be shaking. Liam smirks. “That doesn’t seem at all like a good idea.”

“What do you have against Louis?” Harry asks. “He was nice, polite, fun and easy-going. And the way he handled the twins was just what I ask for in a nanny.”

“And also he is so _likeable_.” Liam adds and Harry smiles.

Nick looks ready to explode.

 

\--

 

The difficult thing will be to tell Niall, Louis thinks as he makes his way home. Niall would probably not really understand. Not that it’s any of Niall’s business what Louis does for a living, but he might oppose the fact that Louis just gets a job as a nanny instead of following his dreams. And also him moving out could cause some problems.

Then again it’s better to just get it over with, so when he gets inside he doesn’t waste any time on telling him.

“Well… I got the job!” He says and Niall practically screams as he jumps off the sofa, which he doesn’t seem to have left since this morning. Usually it’s like that on Niall’s days off.  

“Really Lou? Congrats! The one you wanted?”

“Uhm…” Louis says, scratching the back of his head trying to come up with a good way to explain this. “Uhm, I might not have gotten the part as much as… I’m Harry Styles’ new nanny.”

Louis has never seen Niall go from so joyfully happy to so confused that quick. Mouth half open, he stares at Louis.

“Wait, you what?”

“Nanny. I’m the new nanny.” Louis cranes his neck and tries to look as if this was absolutely normal. “I… well, the part went to this guy called Zayn, gorgeous lad, you’d like him, and I ended up with Styles’ kids and… yeah, apparently they needed a nanny and I was cut out for the job.”

“But you’re an _actor_.” Niall says, as if he tries to remind Louis of that. “You don’t know anything about kids.”

“Hey!” Louis says, looking offended. “I have four younger sisters mate, I know my way around diapers and teddy bears.”

“Yeah, okay, yeah.” Niall says, still not buying this. Louis understands him. “But you’re still an actor. You’re gonna what, retire already and go for a career as a nanny instead?”

“I don’t see the problem.” Louis says, looking innocent as he folds his jacket over a chair and then jumps into the sofa next to Niall, putting his legs over Niall’s knees. “I could have this job, go to auditions now and then and still do what I wanted. And I mean it’s Harry Styles’ kids! I’m practically living in a house full of opportunities. Any crisps left?”

Niall shakes his head like he can’t believe this and stares at Louis.

“But you’re an actor.” He says again. “An _actor_.”

“It will be fine.” Louis says and makes himself comfortable. “I will be great at the job. Also you should see the pay, it’s amazing.”

Niall shakes his head again but then he’s grinning.

“I can’t believe you, Lou. Seriously, only you would go into a house to try to get a part in a superhero movie and come out as a bloody nanny.”

“Well, I am exciting.” Louis winks and Niall sighs, then chuckles.

“Well then, any more surprises I should know about? Are you also a princess or something?”

“Nope!” Louis says and let out a joyful sound when he finds some crisps still left in a bag next to the sofa. “Uhm… but did I tell you they want me to move in?”

 

\--

It’s with two big bags of clothes that he can barely carry, that Louis gets on the train the next morning that will take him to Harry Styles’ house again. It’s too early in the morning to be awake, Louis thinks as the sun is just rising, Why he had promised to be there by breakfast, he doesn’t know. Must have been when Harry bent down to the desk before Louis, to sign the papers and Louis was temporally lost in the way his bum looked in those trousers.

Niall hadn’t been angry. Actually, Niall had been kind of happy about it. Really, Niall hadn’t even complained a lot. Louis was almost a little hurt.

“Mate, some time away from you and your sex partners could do me some good.” He had said and then Louis had poured the rest of the crisps over his head.

Well, guess it was better than he had laughed about it then started to cry or something. Also Louis wouldn’t be that far away. Only a bit away.

Louis makes it all the way up the driveway to the house until Liam notices him and walks outside to help him carry.

“Hello.” Liam says, politely and smiling and Louis grins.

“Hi, Li.”

Liam chuckles.

“Nicknames already?”

“Liam is a very long name.” Louis explains and Liam just shakes his head, laughing.

“Breakfast is being served in ten minutes. It would be good if you could help us get the kids to eat without starting a food fight.”

“Sure.” Louis smiles, hoping that Liam won’t ever know about all the food fights he and Niall starts. “Are all the kids eating?”

“Yeah, Luke gets a special porridge.” Liam explains as they put Louis’ bags inside the house, just by the door. “Oh, and we eat breakfast in the dining hall just pass the bathroom.”

“Great.” Louis says as he takes off his jacket. “Is… Mr. Styles awake then?”

Liam smiles and chuckles.

“Yes, getting ready for another day with Mr. Grimshaw. Come, this way please.”

 

Louis manages to just enter the dining hall before he gets attacked by the twins.

“Lou!” Demi says, hugging him tight around one leg, as Ashton holds on to the other.

“You’re back!”

“Of course I’m back you little munchkins.” Louis grins. “Did you think I would quit before I even started?”

“They wouldn’t be surprised.” Harry says, and Louis had barely even noticed him where he sits by the end of the table, dressed in a plain black t-shirt today and jeans, hair messy and his voice is even more deep in the mornings. Oh. “Hello Mr. Tomlinson.”

“Hello Mr. Styles.” Louis breathes out, and then he notices Nick. He tries not to grimace. “And Mr. Grimshaw as well! What a pleasant surprise.”

Nick’s smile is forced, he doesn’t say anything. Louis grins, walking over to the table to sit down with the twins and Luke the toddler in his chair, looking ready for his porridge.

“How nice to have dinner with the whole family.” Louis says, taking a spoon from Liam to help him with Luke’s breakfast. “I’m starving.”

 

Breakfast runs smoothly, much easier than Louis had expected and the kids are really calm until Harry asks if Louis would like to go with them to the park today.

“I want to!” Ashton shouts, practically jumping up from his chair. “Can we go now? I’ll go get dressed!”

“Ashton.” Harry sighs and nods to Louis. “Could you help him get dressed?”

“Of course.” Louis smiles. “Anything special you want him in?”

“Not in my clothes!” Demi says. “He always tries to steal my clothes.”

“Take it as a compliment.” Louis says, grinning. “Must mean you have really pretty clothes, then.”

Demi swells with pride and Harry smiles.

“Thanks for breakfast.” Louis says, wiping his mouth on a napkin before he gets up from the table. “And thanks for the warm welcome. And from you as well, Mr. Grimshaw!” He says with a grin, glancing over to Nick who doesn’t really look happy that Louis is now eating breakfast with them. Oh, how Louis would love to find out just _why_.

“Well, Nanny Tomlinson, I guess I just want you to enjoy your stay here.” Nick says, voice practically dripping with sarcasm.

“Oh, don’t worry.” Louis says, as Nick gives him a dark look as Louis passes him on the way after Ashton. “I plan to _really_ enjoy my stay.”

He chuckles as he feels Nick’s eyes burning in his neck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I am so happy that people enjoyed the first chapter x comments and kudos are so very appreciated and I hope you enjoy this as well!

“I don’t wanna go to school.” Demi’s bottom lip tremble and Louis has to keep himself from sighing. Demi has been on a roller coaster, going from wanting to go to school more than anything, to now wanting to go at all. And now she’s clinging to Louis’ like a little spider monkey.

“Demi.” Louis tries to explain calmly as he sits down and she crawls up into his lap. “You have to go to school every week, and you love school! You get to meet your friends and see your teacher and I didn’t want to ruin the surprise, but the lunch I made you is something extravaganza!”

“What does that mean?” Ashton asks, and he runs over to the kitchen bench where there lunch bags are, to try to sneak a peek. Louis smiles. Thank god Ashton isn’t against going to school.

“You will see at lunch time.” He blinks and suddenly Demi looks curious too. Carefully she jumps down from Louis’ lap and goes to try to check out her bag as well.

“Doesn’t Liam make our lunches?” She asks, looking up at Louis with a mistrusting eye, and Louis grins.

“Well, times have changed. Now you get something new… and better.”

The children look curious enough to explode, and Ashton reaches for his bag.

“Now now, children, no peeking!” Louis warns them, and then he laughs. “Now come on, let’s get your things and we’ll go to the car!”

Both Demi and Ashton run to get their bags and coats, giving Louis just enough time to pick Luke up and nuzzle his nose into the boy’s belly, which makes him laugh.

“Oh, I could just eat you.” He says as the toddler laughs, which makes Harry smile as he enters the kitchen.

“Are the children ready for school?” He asks, and Louis looks up, and can’t help but smile even bigger when he notices Harry. He could eat Harry too.

“Yep, just on my way to drop them off. Anything you need?” He blinks suggestively and Harry looks a bit thrown off, and then he blushes.

“No, no, Mr. Tomlinson, Liam will do the grocery shopping later today. I can take Luke while you’re gone.”

“Oh, let me take him!”

Nick suddenly appears, as if he just evaporated out of nowhere and holds his arms out for Luke.

“The children loves me, just as much as I love them, isn’t that right Ashton?” He says, and Louis raises his eyebrows.

“Yeah, and that’s Luke.”

“Of course.” Nick laughs nervously and grabs Luke from Louis. “That’s what I meant.”

Luke’s bottom lip starts to tremble and it takes about two seconds before he starts crying. Harry is quickly there to get him, taking him from Nick’s arms as Nick looks completely dumbfounded.

“What did I do?” He asks, but Harry doesn’t answer, he just hushes Luke, rocking him back and forth.

“I heard about that on the discovery channel.” Liam says to Louis under his breath, as they meet as Louis goes to help the twins with their shoes. “Babies are like animals. They can tell a bad egg from a good one.”

Louis muffles a laugh.

 

\--

 

“The children told me that they want you to take them to the Zoo.” Louis says to Harry as Harry is eating his lunch. Harry smiles.

“They want a lot of things. Wish I had the time though. Sadly I am so busy now with the new movie project and everything.”

“I see.” Louis says, sitting down next to Harry and steals one of the carrots off his plate without asking. He smirks as Harry looks rather bewildered by it, before he laughs.

“I believe that was my carrot, Mr. Tomlinson.”

“Well, I like them.” Louis smirks. “Do you mind?”

Harry shakes his head, curls dancing and a dimple shows in his left cheeks as he smiles. Louis doesn’t understand that looking like that is _fair._

“Don’t you have work to do?” Harry grins and Louis gasps.

“Are you trying to imply that I don’t do my work properly? How very _dare_ you, Mr. Styles!”

Harry laughs louder this time, throwing his head back and Louis wouldn’t really mind looking at Harry throwing his head back like that, allowing Louis to suckle marks into his neck. Not that Louis should be thinking about that. And Harry probably isn’t gay either.

“No, I’d never do that.” He says with a smile, a wink almost and Louis feels a bit happier. A lot happier.

“Well, good.” He winks back, proper winking and he is more than pleased when he sees the faint blushing effect that wink has on Harry.

“Oh, Mr. Tomlinson.” Liam comes into the kitchen with a teasing smile on his lips. “If you don’t have anything to do right now, you could gladly help me scrub the kitchen floors.”

“Scrub?” Louis asks, jumping up from his chair and grabbing another piece of carrot from Harry’s plate as he does so. “Sorry, Liam. I’m not used to do work on my knees, if you know what I mean.”

He laughs and then he notices Nick about to come into the kitchen and he can’t help but turn to Harry and wink.

“Oh wait, what am I saying? I’m _extremely_ used to working on my knees.”

Liam looks like he’s about to start laughing as Nick, who just heard the last comment and saw the wink, practically falls over, just as Harry turns really red.

 

Louis is chuckling when he gets into Luke’s room, the boy just waking up and reaching out his arms for a cuddle.

“I will tease your daddy until he begs me to stop.” He sings to the toddler that laughs and pulls at Louis’ hair.

 

\--

 

“Can’t you take us to the zoo, Louis?” Ashton asks as he and Demi are eating their afternoon snack after school. Louis stops eating his own sandwich and looks at him.

“Can you picture me at the zoo, Ashton? With all the smelly animals?”

Demi giggles, but Ashton looks confused.

“But Louis!” He says and gives Louis those puppy eyes that he has so much trouble with avoiding. Damn kid, Louis thinks. “You should take us. If mum was here, she would!”

Louis is about to say _well, mum’s not here, tough luck_ , but in the last second he realises that this will probably hurt the kids and he doesn’t want that to happen. No.

“Maybe.” He says instead. “Maybe this Saturday. And if your dad comes with us.”

“But dad never has time to go with us.” Demi says, looking a bit sad. “We’ve been asking him forever.”

“I know you have, sweetie.” Louis says and he feels sorry for them. “But I will try to get him to come with us, okay. You know he can’t say no to me.”

It’s meant as a joke, but Ashton nods.

“Yep, daddy says he likes you. He thinks you’re very good.”

Louis smiles. Interesting.

“He said that?

“Mhm.” Demi said. “Best nanny ever he said. Liam agreed.”

Louis grins. This is just getting better.

 

\--

 

Zayn visits when Louis has been working a couple of weeks. Louis gets a bit too excited to see him and ends up tackle hugging him to the ground, which causes both Harry and Nick to stare at him.

“What are you doing?” Nick asks, looking almost disgusted with the friendship. “Are you trying to kill him to get the part?”

“No!” Louis laughs and Zayn laughs. “I’m just happy to see him, that’s all.”

“I didn’t know you were friends.” Harry says and Louis turns to him.

“Oh, like I would pass up the opportunity to be friends with this hot piece of ass? No way.”

He chuckles silently, as do Zayn while Harry does his usual, awkward blushing that Louis loves _too_ much and Nick smiles too sweetly. Louis is happy the kids are at school because he doesn’t have to watch his language, which means more teasing.

“Mr. Tomlinson has a crush, how sweet.” Nick says and Louis can’t help but just see how happy it would make him if Louis would be interested in someone else but Harry. Does that mean that Harry could be interested back, if Louis showed interest in him? _Is_ Harry gay?

“I have a girlfriend.” Zayn says, grinning.

“You do?” Louis whispers as he and Zayn walk into the kitchen and Zayn laughs.

“Not really. But it looked like you wanted to make Grimmy squirm so, figured I help.”

Louis purrs like a kitten.

“I just know I befriended you for a reason.”

Zayn is really just supposed to go over the script for the movie with Harry and Nick, but he has time to have tea with Louis and meet the kids, and Louis and Zayn take them to the park and makes them run around wild until they have to bring them home and they are so tired that they fall asleep almost immediately.

“You’re good with kids.” Zayn comments as Louis puts Luke down in his bed. “Ever thought about getting your own?”

“What, you’re volunteering to impregnate me?” Louis jokes and Zayn muffles a laugh.

“No. But I guess you don’t have to worry, from where I’m standing it looks like you have your eyes on becoming these kids’ stepfather anyway. Just how bad are you crushing on Harry?”

“Zayn!” Louis protests in hushed voice, closing the door to the toddler’s room. “Don’t talk like that in front of the children. And I’m not crushing on Harry.”

Zayn raises his eyebrow.

“No?”

“Nope.” Louis says, and then he can’t help but add. “I wouldn’t mind fucking him though. Or the other way around. Or just a casual blowjob. But that can’t really count as crushing, can it?”

Zayn laughs and shakes his head.

“You’re the worst.”

“That’s what Niall always say.” Louis grins. “You should meet him.”

“Pub some night?” Zayn suggests and Louis nods.

“I’ll text you.”

When Zayn has left Louis texts Niall to tell him about pub plans, and Niall doesn’t say no.

**“Oh and r u bringin the boss? ;) ;)”**

Louis grins at the screen and texts Niall back quickly.

**“u’d love that wouldn’t u, see u in a few days xx”**

\--

 

Sometimes when Nick is in Harry’s office, Louis walks in just to show Nick what they do when he’s not there. Usually Harry just asks about the kids and if Louis feels okay, but there’s also that thing with Louis actually sitting on Harry’s desk, giving him the most seductive look as he pictures what it would be like pulling Harry closer with his tie and kiss him breathless, and that look Louis really, _really_ likes to show to Nick.

Now Nick isn’t in there though when Louis slips in, and neither is Harry. It’s just Liam, looking like he’s taking a nap in Harry’s chair.

“Liam!” Louis gasps, looking shocked. “Oh my my, what are you doing?”

“Louis!” Liam first looks just as shocked and busted, but then he breathes out. “It’s just you.”

“And what makes you think I won’t turn you in?” Louis blinks and Liam rolls his eyes.

“You might have a cute butt, Tomlinson, but that is all.”

“Oh, I just love it when you talk about my butt.” Louis says, glad that when they are alone Liam at least let’s go of all those last name Mr’s, that he finds awkward unless it’s Harry calling him that.

“ _You_ love your butt.” Liam comments and Louis’ grin widen.

“Your boss likes my butt.”

Liam chuckles and just shakes his head.

“You wish.”

“No, seriously!” Louis says, jumping up on the desk, crossing his legs and looks at Liam. “What’s up with that? I mean is he…”

Liam raises his eyebrow.

“Well, he’s got three kids.”

Louis waves his hand like it’s nothing.

“Please. I have friends that have a bunch of kids with women and they are as straight as Ricky Martin. Now please, please, please Li, gimme the gossip.”

“Oh yes please, Liam, give me the gossip. Tell me, is the gossip about two employees about to get fired?”

Liam and Louis both yelps and get to their feet, turning around so quickly Louis feels like a ballerina, and then he notices Harry in the doorway. At first Harry looks angry, but the Louis can see him smile.

“What are you two doing in my room?”

“Uhm cleaning.” They both reply and Harry laughs.

“Sure. Am I supposed to believe that?”

“Mr. Styles.” Louis says, giving him his most innocent look. “Would I lie to you?”

Harry laughs again.

“Yes.”

“Damn.” Louis mutters. “You’re not supposed to know that yet.”

Harry smiles and looks at both of them.

“Get out of my office and do your jobs, please?”

 

\--

It’s late when Louis realises that he really can’t sleep, so he sneaks up from his bed, hoping he won’t wake up the whole house as he makes his way downstairs to watch some TV, since his phone is really boring and not even twitter will entertain him in the middle of the night. He is surprised to see he isn’t the only one up.

“Ha… Mr. Styles.” He says as he finds Harry curled up on the sofa, watching some movie. Harry looks up.

“Lo… Mr. Tomlinson. Hi. Couldn’t sleep?”

“No.” Louis admits. “Uhm, can I join you or is this a one man-party?”

Harry chuckles and scoots over.

“No, please. I don’t really know what movie it is, just something that was on.”

“Okay.” Louis smiles and sits down. He pulls his legs up, which makes his toe almost, almost touch Harry’s. It feels nice. “Could we maybe skip the formalities now? Isn’t it late enough for first names?”

Harry smiles. It’s a warm smile. Beautiful, really. Louis doesn’t really think it’s fair that he has a smile like that either.

“Sure, Louis.” He says, and the way Louis sounds on his lips makes Louis a bit weak to the knees. He can’t imagine what it would sound like when he moans it.

“Harry.” Louis says with a smile.

They are quiet for a while, before Harry speaks.

“You really are great with my kids, you know. They love you. I can’t even remember when they were last this happy. Must have been before their mum left.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Louis says, hoping he isn’t overstepping any boundaries but he wants to know. “What… what’s up with that?”

“We… have different interests, you could say.” Harry says after thinking for a while, choosing his words. “I think we were a bit too young when the twins came and then when things started to get rough we thought we could patch things up with another kid and then Luke came and we just…”

Louis doesn’t say anything. He thanks god for him not being able to sleep so that he could get this late night honesty.

“I guess we drifted apart.” Harry says after a while. “I don’t think I helped much. I wasn’t very…I don’t think I was a very good husband.”

“You must work a lot.” Louis says and Harry smiles faintly, and Louis gets a feeling that wasn’t at all the problem. He doesn’t say so though, just stays quiet.

“Yeah.” Harry says. “Yeah, I guess that was part of it. “

“Does she… does she see the kids?” Louis asks and Harry nods quickly.

“Yeah, yeah she does. She uhm, she travels a lot though, touring and… yeah. There’s not much time.” He sighs, and suddenly he looks so much in pain Louis just wants to touch him, hug him. He doesn’t. Harry sighs again. “I guess we’re really bad parents.”

“Hey. Hey.” Louis says, not wanting Harry to think that. “Don’t say that. Don’t think that. You’ve got three lovely kids that love you, and I doubt they’d want any other dad in the world. You’re their idol.”

Harry smiles.

“Thank you, Louis. You’re very kind.”

“Well, you pay me.” Louis can’t help but joke, and that makes Harry chuckle.

“And I mean it.” Louis says, looking at Harry. “I mean, you do work a lot. Maybe you should… let off some steam now and then.”

Harry gives him a quizzical look and Louis blinks.

“Not like that. I mean you should take me and the kids to the zoo. Come on, they have been bugging me for weeks already.”

Harry laughs.

“You haven’t even worked here that long.”

“Feels like forever though.” Louis says and Harry smiles.

“Yeah.” He says and his voice is soft. “Yeah. It does feel like a really long time, doesn’t it?”

“Because I’m so likeable.” Louis explains with a grin. “I’m easy to get used to.”

Harry smiles and Louis smiles. The movie on the TV is there like a background sound. Louis doesn’t know if Harry even was watching.

“I feel a bit better now.” Harry says, and Louis can’t believe he helped. “Maybe I should go to bed.”

“But then you won’t know how the movie ends.” Louis says and Harry smiles.

“That’s true. Wanna watch it with me?”

Louis grins.

“Okay.”

 

Louis wakes up to a back pain and neck pain that isn’t of this world. He groans, not believing why he is in so much pain until he realises he isn’t in his bed, he is in the sofa and oh, he didn’t make it to bed after the movie. He glances over and Harry is also curled up, almost touching Louis’ legs and Louis feels warmth spreading in his body that he didn’t really plan for. What he will do if Harry doesn’t want to do anything with him, he doesn’t want to find out.

“Oh, please stay like that.” He hears whisper suddenly and Liam is in the doorway. “Nick will be here in five minutes, just let me have this moment _please_.”

Louis grins and nods, closing his eyes and tries to look as cuddly as possible against Harry, without really touching him too much.

The little scream that comes minutes after wakes Harry up, and Louis opens his eyes too.

It was _so_ worth it.

Nick looks like he’s seen a ghost, or is about to faint and it’s hilarious. Liam is laughing behind him.

“What are you doing?” Nick cries out and Harry sits up, confused, looking over at Louis who tries his best to look just as confused.

“I think they are sleeping together.” Liam says with a straight face that Louis just doesn’t know how he pulls off, he is so close to start laughing himself. Harry blushes.

“HARRY” Nick screams and Harry jumps up.

“Nick, it’s nothing, we fell asleep while watching a movie that’s all.”

“Doesn’t look like that’s all.”

“Well it is.” Harry says. “Uhm… let me get a shower and I’ll be with you soon.”

He runs out of the room and Nick stares at Louis likes he wants to kill him. Louis looks innocent.

“I could use a shower too.” He says, winking at Liam as he gets up from the sofa.

“A cold one, sir?” Liam asks and Nick gasps. Louis grins.

“Yep.”

 

 _Maybe Harry isn’t gay_. Louis thinks as he takes a really long shower, not being able to resist stroking his rejected dick that feels lonely and a tad desperate for attention. But it doesn’t feel impossible to get him to do something with Louis.

 

\--

 

“Louis, Louis, come play with my dolls with me!” Demi shouts as Louis passes the room. He grins and get inside. Ashton and Demi both seem to have gotten a lot of dolls in their days, because the floor is flooded with them. Louis is holding on to a sleepy Luke, but he figures that Luke can stay in his arms for a while and play with his brother and sister, it won’t hurt anyone.

“I don’t know how to play.” He says, grinning as he sits down. Demi shakes her head.

“That’s okay, we will teach you.”

“My doll is you.” Ashton says, showing Louis a handsome Barbie Ken, and Louis likes that the kids seems to think he’s that fit.

“And this is your wife!” Demi says and she holds up a Barbie with long, brown hair and sparkly outfit. Louis smiles.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you kids, but I don’t think I will get married to a girl, ever.”

Ashton drops the doll.

“Why?!” He asks and watches Louis. “Don’t you think anyone likes you?”

Louis smiles.

“Oh no, I’m sure people like me. But you see, I don’t like girls. Not like that. I like boys. So if I get married, I want to have a husband, not a wife.”

Demi’s eyes are big.

“Really? Can you do that? And do you kiss them?”

Louis smiles. He loves coming out to children, because their questions are hilarious and they rarely judge, they just want to understand.

“Some guys like to kiss guys.” Louis explains. “And some guys kiss girls, and girls kiss girls. It’s not a problem who you kiss, really.”

“Mommy used to tell daddy that it is.” Ashton says while he’s trying to get Demi’s doll away from her. Louis stops him.

“Tell daddy what?” He asks instead, trying to get Ashton to ignore the doll and let Demi play. Luke snores in his arms. He should probably put the toddler back in his crib, but it’s comfortable to sit like this so Louis decides he will keep him like this a while longer.

“That him liking to kiss boys is a problem.” Ashton nods and Louis straightens up, extremely interested now.

“Really?”

Ashton nods.

“Yes. They didn’t think we listened to them but we heard. She used to yell at daddy and telling him that he liked men and that it was a big, big problem.”

“Is it a problem?” Demi asks, making big eyes at Louis and Louis smiles a little.

“Well…” He says, shifting his arms to support Luke’s head better. “If you’re with someone that wants to kiss someone else than you, than it is a problem. It would make you sad, wouldn’t it?”

Ashton grimaces.

“I don’t know, I don’t wanna kiss anyone.”

Louis chuckles.

“Well, when you’re a bit older, maybe.”

Ashton and Demi both looks ready to be sick.

“Yuck, I don’t think so.”

Louis laughs and then forces himself to get up with Luke still in his arms.

“Okay, I’m gonna put this little fellow to bed, I’ll be right back darlings.”

So, Harry maybe likes to kiss boys. And maybe that’s what caused him to divorce the wife.

 _Huh_ , Louis thinks with a smile as he puts Luke in his bed. This could be _very_ interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Christmas chapter just in time for Christmas! Great, huh? Let me know what you think lovelies, your comments keep me writing x ily you all for taking time to read.

“Daddy, daddy, I wanna see the monkeys.” Demi complains as she tugs at Harry’s coat, urging him to move forward instead of staying with Ashton to watch the penguins.

“Slow down, honey.” Harry smiles, giving Louis an eye where he walks with Luke in his carrier, smiling broadly. “We will see the monkeys soon, just wait a bit.”

“Yes, because I wanna watch the penguins.” Ashton whines, and Louis snickers, loving how extremely devoted Ashton is.

It’s a cold day, but that means the zoo isn’t that busy and Louis is so very happy he got Harry to come with him and the kids. Nick had given him some glaring looks, saying that they probably needed to work, but in the end Harry had decided he could go for a day at the zoo, and the kids were thrilled.

Louis was thrilled too.

Harry looks so gorgeous, wearing his coat with a scarf and beanie, matching his green eyes perfectly, and the beanie not really managing to hide his curls. Seeing him out with his kids, smiling and having fun is really not bad. Really not.

“We’re going to the penguins.” Harry smiles, holding both their hands. “And the monkeys. And the giraffes, and the birds and everything. Now, are you sure you’re not hungry?”

Ashton shakes his head.

“Nope, just wanna see the animals.”

Harry laughs and let the kids run free, as long as they stay in his and Louis sight.

“It was good of you to come today” Louis says, when they are both a bit behind the other kids, only Luke’s snoring to remind them of the third little one. Harry smiles.

“They are my kids. I should have done this much sooner.” He sighs. “Well, it will be my Christmas gift for them, I guess. Considering I’ll be away with Nick.”

Louis halts.

“You’re not gonna be home for Christmas?”

Harry shakes his head.

“No, Christmas is sadly a busy week for us. Always some business trip we need to take and the kids are used to that.”

Louis holds up is hand in a stop sign.

“You’re not spending Christmas with your kids? Are they alone?”

“No!” Harry exclaims and shakes his head. “Of course they are not. Liam is always with them, and sometimes my sister but now she is sadly out of time…”

“What about their mum?” Louis asks, and Harry shakes his head.

“Sadly, she’s just as busy as I am.”

Louis can’t believe this. Coming from a house always filled with laughter and joy and people on Christmas, he knows how fun Christmas can be. Even if the last few Christmas has been spent with Niall and their friends, Christmas is not a season where you stay away from your family.

“We can’t have that, Harold.” Louis says, shaking his head as they start walking again, trying to catch up with Ashton and Demi who has just found the tigers. “I mean, the kids will miss you.”

Harry looks sad.

“I know, I know. But I just want them to have everything they could ask for, you know? It gives us good money. I can let them have anything they want. And my name is not Harold.”

Louis rolls his eyes.

“Earth to Harry Styles. Damn, for a smart fella like yourself you really have no clue. Do you think toys and gifts means more to them than spending time with you? They miss you!”

Harry smiles, not as big as usual, but a smile.

“Is it your place to tell me how I spend time with my kids?” He asks, and for a second Louis thinks of backing down but the he snaps his fingers instead.

“Damn right it is!” He retorts, eyeing the kids with a watchful eye so they don’t try to break the glass to the tiger den. “I do spend a lot of time with them, after all.”

“Nothing I can do, though.” Harry says, raising his arms like in surrender. “We leave on Christmas Day and…”

“Christmas Day?” Louis asks, and Harry nods. Louis thinks about it. Hm, he could maybe save this.

“Daddy, daddy, can I borrow the phone and take pictures?” Demi asks, tugging at Harry’s coat again and Harry smiles, fishing his phone out of tight jeans.

“Okay sweetie, but be careful, okay?”

“Okay!” Demi says and then she and Ashton start taking pictures of everything.

 

When they get home Louis is spent, he can’t feel his legs at all.

“Good day, sir?” Liam asks as he helps Louis get the kids ready for bed. Louis groans.

“Oh don’t ask, I can’t feel my legs…” and he adds, as Liam raises his eyebrow. “And that’s not in a good way.”

Liam smirks and reaches his arms out to get Luke.

“I’ll go put the little one to bed, you take care of the big monsters.” He says, nodding in the bathroom direction where Demi and Ashton are brushing their teeth.

“Thanks, Li.” Louis says and Liam just grins, bouncing Luke that giggles on their way out. Just as Liam exits Harry enters.

“Heard you had a good day, sir.” Liam says with a smile as Harry passes him. “Apparently Louis can’t even feel his legs. Good for you.”

Louis chuckles as Harry starts blushing, and Louis thinks of adding to Liam’s comment, but just then the kids emerge from the bedroom, looking adorable dressed in the pyjamas.

“Bedtime story, daddy please!” Ashton begs as he jumps into his bed.

“Yes, please.” Demi agrees and Louis helps her get under the covers. Harry smiles.

“Okay, which one do you want me to read?”

Ashton shakes his head.

“Can’t you tell us a new one? A story just for us!”

Louis grins.

“You want your daddy to come up with a new fairy tale for you? You’re putting him in a difficult position, writing a story is hard.”

Harry pats Louis’ shoulder. It sends a jolt through his spine that really shouldn’t happen. Louis almost gets angry with himself for being that affected by his touch.

“I think I can manage.” He sits down on the side of Ashton’s bed, as Louis sits down on Demi’s. “So, a story… what should it be about?”

“A prince!” Demi says, eyes sparkling. “A prince named… Louis.”

Louis flips his hair.

“Oh, you think I’m prince material? Thanks, Demi.”

“And a knight!” Ashton adds. “A brave knight. And he can save the prince.”

“Not the princess?” Harry asks, with a smile and Ashton shakes his head like it’s ridiculous that Harry could even ask something like that.

“No of course not, Louis has to be saved.”

“And he doesn’t like girls.” Demi adds and Louis looks down to his hands in his lap, trying to hide his stupid grin as he can feel Harry watching him.

“Is that so?” Harry asks, voice suddenly soft and deeper and Louis looks up, grinning widely.

“Well you know, you can’t hide anything from them.”

“Daddy, you can be the knight that saves Louis!” Ashton says, almost jumping up and down in his bed as he thinks of this. Harry starts blushing, and Louis feels a blush spreading in his own face. Damn, these kids.

“I don’t think…” Harry starts, but Demi interrupts.

“Yes, because you looked so happy at the zoo and…”

She gets lot in words as she and Ashton starts discussing the story and they don’t really let Harry or Louis says anything. It takes them a good 30 minutes to get them to fall asleep.

Harry kisses both of them as Louis turns off the light.

“Daddy?” They hear Demi whisper and Harry pauses on his way out.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“You smile when you see Louis. Look at the pictures.”

Harry stops in the middle of a step, almost falling and Louis catches him.

“Good night, Demi.” Louis whispers and they manage to close the door.

“Uh… I’m sorry about that.” Harry says as the door is closed and they are heading to the living room. “My kids, they can be…”

“Oh, don’t worry about it Haz, I’ll manage.” Louis says, loving the reaction on Harry’s face when he hears the nickname. “But what pictures?”

“Uhm, I… The ones they took with my phone, I… I think she means this.”

Harry takes his phone out of his pocket and shows Louis one of the hundreds of pictures Demi and Ashton took at the zoo. Louis smirks as he realizes that Harry must have been looking at it before, since he doesn’t even have to search for it.

It’s a picture when they are eating lunch, Louis didn’t even realize that they had taken a picture here. Louis is feeding Luke some carrots as he makes funny faces and Harry watches them both and the warmth in his eyes is unmistakeable, you must be blind to miss it, Louis is surprised he didn’t feel it as it happened.

“Oh, Mr. Styles.” Louis says teasingly, just realizing that it’s been a while since he even bothered to use that name. “Are you checking me out?”

Harry blushes and pockets his phone.

“Goodnight, Louis… Mr. Tomlinson.” He says instead and Louis watches him as he walks to his bedroom. He can’t help but smile as he makes his way to his own bed. The memory of that picture and Harry’s eyes will be enough to get him a well-deserved wank, and he’s going to take good care of it.

 

\--

 

“We’ll never get these finished in time.” Harry groans and hides his face in his hands. Nick is there in a second.

“Oh, calm down Harry, we will manage. Just relax. I’ll give you a backrub.”

Harry is about to open his mouth and say that this isn’t really necessary but then Nick’s hands are on his shoulders working him like he is cookie dough and he grimaces. It hurts.

“Nick, I…”

“Hush, just relax. And it will be fine. The trip will help.”

“I don’t think… urgh.” Harry groans as Nick really presses down on one of his nerves and it hurts like hell, and just then Louis opens the door to the office, of course without noticing. Harry can feel Nick tense up by the sight of Louis. His own body feels more tense as well, because Louis just does things to him, especially now when he is dressed in casual blue t-shirt, tight, white pants and a santa hat. Also he is grinning.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Louis asks. “Are you looking to advance, Nick?”

“What?” Nick spits out and Louis chuckles.

“You want Harry’s spot? Because it looks like you’re killing him.”

“I’m not killing him.” Nick hisses. “I am giving him a backrub.”

Louis shakes his head in a pitying way.

“Oh darling, that is not a back rub. Here, please let me show you how it’s done.”

He doesn’t really wait for permission, he practically pushes Nick off Harry and just as Harry once again gets ready to say that it isn’t really necessary, he can survive without a back rub, Louis’ hand is suddenly on his shoulders.

And Harry’s eyes shutter close.

It feels great, it feels so, very, extremely good. Louis’ hands are soft and it just feels like he knows what he’s doing and Harry feels himself grasping by the end of his desk, trying to hold on to his sanity as Louis just works his magical hands all over him and just as he hits that certain spot in his lower back, and that spot between his shoulder blades that has been bugging him, he can’t help but let a moan escape his lips.

He opens his eyes to see Nick looking horrified and Liam, of course Liam has chosen this time to show up with tea and he is smirking.

“Well sir, I see you’re getting another one of Louis’ special treatments?” He asks, batting his eyelashes innocently and Harry can hear Louis chuckle behind his back. Nick’s mouth falls open.

“Another one?”

“Oh, yes, sir.” Liam says, innocently as he puts the tray with tea on Harry’s little table near the couch. “I hear them all the time. During nights, even.”

“For god’s sake, stop it Liam.” Harry groans and gets up from his chair, correcting his tie. His legs feel a bit shaky, but he will ignore that. “You’re lying.”

“Or am I?” Liam adds under his breath, just so that Nick and Louis can hear and he winks, and Louis has to cover his mouth with his hand to not start laughing and Nick looks ready to explode, face completely red.

“And Louis, what are you doing in here?” Harry asks, tired all of a sudden because this is driving him crazy. Louis smirks.

“Oh, right, my real errand. Well, I have, since I’m your fabulous nanny, figured out how we can save Christmas.”

Harry smiles. Louis looks like the light of a thousand suns.

“And how would that be?”

“Well, I’m glad you asked. Since you lot don’t leave until Christmas Day…”

“We might meet for dinner the night before…” Nick says, but Louis ignores him.

“That gives you a lot of time to celebrate Christmas Eve! So, and now I’m sacrificing so much for you, but that happens to be my birthday as well. So, I will make sure that you and the kids will have an amazing Christmas Eve, and I will even work, even though it’s my birthday.”

Harry stares at him.

“The only thing I ask is that Niall and Zayn can come too.” Louis grins and he looks really pleased with himself. “And that Liam makes a great Christmas dinner.”

“I would love to help with that, sir.” Liam says and they are both smiling now. Nick looks furious. Harry shakes his head, laughing.

“It sounds tempting Lo… Mr. Tomlinson. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Louis nods.

“Oh yes. And I’ll even help you get the gifts for the kids.”

Harry smiles.

“But I always let my…”

“Personal shopper, yeah yeah bla bla” Louis waves his statement off. “From this day on, no more personal shoppers for your kids, okay? I will help. And you will help. And we’ll have the best Christmas ever, okay?”

He is smiling again, that infectious smile that Harry couldn’t survive without. He smiles back.

“Okay. Okay it’s a deal.”

“Harry!” Nick walks forward, grabbing Harry’s arm. “I really don’t think we will have time for…”

“Nick, I think we will have more than time. We’ll get a car in the morning to the airport.”

“Harry.” Nick says, staring intensely at him. “We always go with…”

“You heard the man, he want to spend time with his kids.” Louis says, smiling politely. Nick looks ready to shoot arrows at him.

“Oh, I could…”

“DADDYYYY, Ashton stole my doll again!”

“And I think that’s my cue.” Louis grins as he bows slightly for no reason whatsoever. “I’ll see you, gentlemen.”

 

\--

 

“So let me get this straight, instead of our birthday pint and booty call…” Niall says as Louis pours him a cup of tea in the Styles’ kitchen. “We’re gonna spend Christmas Eve here, where we will be… taking care of kids?”

“Niall, I explained it to you darling.” Louis says, flirting and charming as he pat his friends shoulder. “We will give these kids the Christmas they deserve. Didn’t you say just last year that you missed the Christmas of your youth?”

“I was drunk and I even then doubt I said anything like that.”

“Liam is even making us turkey.” Louis says, sipping his tea. “There will be lots and lots of food.”

Niall seems to ease into the idea when he hears that there will be food.

“Lots of food?” He asks and Louis nods.

“Lots and lots of food.”

“Fine. Fine. If it’s gonna help you get laid…” Niall teases and Louis slaps his arm.

“Niall, the kids are upstairs!” He hisses and then he starts laughing too. “And anyway, I don’t really need any help with that, I think I’m fine…”

“Mr. Tomlinson, I see you’re making once again question what it is I’m paying you for.” Harry enters the kitchen and Louis and Niall falls silent. Niall grins.

“We all question that, Mr. Styles. Actually, I was going to ask if it’s his…”

“Oh look, it’s the friend again.” Nick appears after Harry like a very annoying glued on figure and Louis rolls his eyes just so that Niall can see. “Harry, are you really sure it’s appropriate that the friend spends so much time here?”

“My name is Niall.” Niall says, giving Nick a feisty look. “And if you get to be here…”

“Do I have to remind you that I am Harry’s partner from work?” Nick spits back and Niall chuckles.

“Oh right, I forgot, you’re just from his work. Not even a friend, huh?”

Louis kicks Niall under the table because Nick looks like he is going to punch Niall in the face any second and he doesn’t want that. He can’t stop grinning though, and Harry blushes and Louis thinks it’s probably about time they left.

“We’ll go check on the kids.” He says, grabbing Niall’s arm to pull him with him, even though Niall looks ready to protest.

 

They have just found the kids, playing a game together and for once not fighting over the rules, when they hear Liam laughing outside.

“Who upset him this time?” He asks, peeking in to the room and Niall grins.

“That would be me, mate.”

Liam chuckles.

“I like you boys, life is much more fun around here since you two got here.”

Louis, who has been looking through the children’s closet to see what clothes he could buy them for Christmas, smiles as he walks past Liam.

“Thank you, love.”

“And it’s not just me.” Liam says, under his breath, grinning widely. “Harry is much, much happier too.”

Louis’ smiles widen. _Oh really_.

 

\--

 

“From all of us, to all of you a very merry Christmas!” Zayn’s voice cuts through glass and Louis grins as the children attack him with hugs. “Woah little one, don’t hurt the presents.”

“You brought gifts.” Louis smiles, as Zayn puts them under the tree the kids picked out yesterday. Zayn grins.

“Of course I did. And happy birthday, Lou.”

They hug and pull away as Demi tugs at Louis’ shirt.

“Is this your boyfriend?” She asks and Louis laughs.

“Oh no, sweetie, it’s not. He’s my friend, just like Niall.”

“Oh okay.” She says and runs back to Ashton. Zayn grins.

“Where’s Niall? I wanna see the bloke.”

“With Liam and the food.” Louis explains and then he laughs. “Come on in, I think we’re setting the table and getting ready to eat. The kids are so excited, it’s their first real Christmas in forever.”

 

Liam has really made the best food Louis has ever eaten, and the dining table looks so very nice. Since Harry decided to stay home he’s really gone all in, decorations and every kind of Christmas thing you can think of is cramped into every corner of the house. There’s also a big birthday cake for Louis, and that’s a bit more adorable than he needed.

The kids have about five seconds of time for the meal before they want to open the gifts and Louis smiles because he remembers being like that.

“Tell you what.” He says, as Ashton starts looking really grumpy. “Let us eat for ten more minutes and then Niall will come and play a game with you.”

Niall stops in the middle of chewing.

“Wha…” He says, but since his mouth is full he can’t protest. Harry smiles, patting Demi’s head.

“I promise we won’t take long, honey.”

 

It doesn’t take that long, maybe 40 minutes, but by then the kids and Niall for that matter are really impatient. So Harry puts his cutlery down on the table, getting up from his chair.

“I think it’s time then? Okay, who wants gifts?”

“Me!” Niall says and the kids starts laughing.

“No, stupid Niall.” Ashton giggles. “Us first.”

Niall pouts.

“Why? I’ve been a good boy.”

Louis scoffs.

“As if.”

Niall grimaces to him but then they all sit down by the tree.

 

Louis had helped Harry pick out gifts for the children and they love it all. He himself ends up in a pile of wrapping paper holding Luke, who is happy about his new stuffed bear that he looks like he wants to eat.

Niall got the kids a bowling set that they want to try right away, to Liam’s horror as they find the perfect lane just close to the expensive vase.

“Too bad Nick couldn’t come.” Harry says, when they are all finished with the unwrapping. “I invited him, but he seemed to have other things to do.”

“He has a life?” Zayn asks with big eyes. Louis kicks him, but he and Niall both muffle a laugh. Liam watches them, grinning.

 

Filled with turkey and tired from all the gifts, Niall passes out on the sofa next to the kids, as Zayn holds a snoring Luke in his arms.

“Want me to put this little fella to bed?” He asks Louis and Louis smiles.

“I can take him if you…”

Zayn shakes his head.

“Oh no, it’s fine. I know where his room is, I’ll be on my way then.”

Louis thinks about waking Niall up but he looks peaceful and Liam just laughs.

“Leave him there. I’ll wake him up with carols in the morning.”

Louis grins.

“Okay.”

Instead Harry and Louis take on twin each, putting them to their beds. As Louis turns the light off, Harry smiles at him.

“Thanks for this, Louis. It was a great idea.”

“I knew it would be.” Louis grins and he and Harry both walk down the hall to get to Louis’ bedroom. Louis is so tired. He is just about to say goodnight and open his door when he notices something.

“Huh.” Louis looks up to the door, noticing the green plant that Niall put there earlier. “Misteltoe.”

Harry looks up too, a faint blush spreading over his cheeks and he clears his throat.

“Uhm, not sure that is mistletoe.” He says and Louis smiles.

“Nah, he couldn’t find any. But pretty sure it’s what he intended it to be. So…”

“I… uhm…” Harry says and he looks so nervous and it’s adorable and Louis could just eat him and he plans to do just that. Maybe not today, but one day.

“Just a kiss, Harry.” He smiles instead, trying not to show that he himself wants it a bit more than he wants to let on. “It’s not going to hurt, right?”

“Maybe it’s not appropriate…” Harry whispers and Louis hushes him.

“I promise I won’t tell anyone. And hey, it’s Christmas, right? Consider it my Christmas bonus.”

He bats his eyelashes and Harry chuckles.

“You already got a bonus.”

“Well… my other bonus, then.” Louis grins and Harry shakes his head, then moves his hand suddenly and cups Louis cheek. Their eyes lock and Harry’s eyes are _so_ big, Louis thinks, especially this close and it’s…

“Merry Christmas, Louis.” Harry whispers and then he leans in and _wow_ , okay **_wow_** , Louis can only think _wow wow wow_ as their lips meet. It’s just a brush, really, it’s so quick he isn’t even sure they can count it as a kiss but he still feels Harry and Harry is warm and he smells of hot chocolate and turkey and perfume and he is _warm_.

When Harry pulls away Louis blinks, weak in every single bone in his body and Harry smiles.

“It’s great to have you here.”

“Mhm.” Louis says and then Harry is gone and Louis is left in his room and he falls to his bed like a sappy teenager in love and _oh god_ , this isn’t supposed to happen.

“I think I’m falling in love with my boss.” He whispers to his ceiling. It doesn’t answer him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY okay, a chapter before christmas as my gift to you.... or something. It's a bit shorter but I hope you like it anyway :) x MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

“Today, dear Harold, I’m gonna teach you the art of making pancakes.”

Louis practically dances around in the kitchen, taking flour and eggs and sugar from the cupboards as Luke watches him with big eyes from where he is seated in his chair. Leaning against the door frame is Harry, dressed in casual jeans together with a white shirt and suit jacket, watching Louis with a smile dancing on his lips, like he doesn’t really understand why Louis is prancing around in his kitchen like a big goof.

“I’m working today, Lou. And do I have to remind you that my name is not Harold?”

Louis bats his eyelashes in his direction, charming him like he always can. Or he likes to believe that he can do that anyway, he tries very hard to anyway.

“Well then, _Harold_ , work will have to wait. It’s pancake time now. I can’t believe you don’t know how to make pancakes. I swear, I’ve never been so shocked about anything in my whole life.”

Harry smiles, like he has a hard time believing that.

“I still have work, _Lou_. Now, why aren’t you taking care of my kids?”

“Kid.” Louis corrects him, pointing to Luke in his chair, that is busy trying to eat an animal cracker. “Gave the other two away to charity.”

Harry stares at him with big eyes like a deer caught in headlights before Louis deadpans.

“They are at school, Haz. Christmas break is over. Now, just how lost in your work have you been for the last couple of days?”

Harry doesn’t answer him. It gives Louis the chance to give him a smug smile. Harry has been working too much, way too much. Louis is sick of always seeing Harry behind papers and with Nick by his side. It’s time for a change.

“And that’s why today is pancake day. Don’t you agree Luke?” He says, tickling the toddler until he squirms with laughter.

“Lou lou.” Luke says and pinch Louis’ nose. It hurts a little, the kid is already stronger than he should be Louis decides.

“Aw, tough love.”

He looks up to see Harry’s smile. It’s filled with a fondness that makes Louis’ heart burn. It’s not okay for him to look like that, not at all, especially not when he is looking at Louis with a kid and looking like that, like they are some kind of _family_.

“So tell me, Mr. Styles, are you really going to deprive your youngest son of a pancake day? Are you really?”

He looks at him like he is the judge in a jury, trying not to drown in those green eyes and finally, finally Harry gives in.

“Okay, okay, pancakes it is. Give me the eggs. Where do I start?”

Louis feels more pleased than in a long time. He won. Again.

“First you need a bowl. No not that, a bigger one. Or maybe we could go with the first one…” Louis teases him, and feeling more pleased when Harry just kindly switches bowl after bowl until he realizes that Louis is just messing around. He looks at him with glimmering eyes.

“Remind me again why I hired you.”

“Maybe you like my figure.” Louis winks, earning a blush and a silly laugh. “Okay and now for the eggs. We need two.”

Harry stares at him, like he just asked him to find the meaning of life.

“And do I just…”

“Just crack them and pour the insides into the bowl.” Louis sighs. “Seriously, how long has Liam been cooking for you? How can you not know how to do this?”

Harry looks a bit ashamed. He takes two of the biggest eggs and looks at them as he answers.

“I just... I’ve never thought about it.”

He manages to crack the eggs and just get a tiny piece of shell in the bowl, and Louis uses a table spoon to get rid of it. It really was a good job for being the first time.

“Okay and now for sugar. We just need a tiny little cup, you’re so sweet anyway.” Louis flirts and Harry smiles back, no blushing this time.

“You’re one to talk, Tomlinson.” He says back and Louis stops, grinning.

“Are you flirting with me, Styles?”

Harry smiles, then he looks completely innocent again, with curls and eyes that should be illegal in at least 50 states and 300 countries.

“Sugar?”

Louis tries not to be disappointed; it really had been too much to hope for that Harry would actually flirt back with him in the kitchen, when Luke is there and they are about to make pancakes but really, he has butterflies in his stomach and he had just hoped that maybe, maybe he could share some of those butterflies with Harry.

Instead he ignores those thoughts, thinking that he needs to stay focused and it really isn’t good for him to have butterflies around Harry anyway so he takes the sugar from Harry.

“I’ll pour the sugar, please and thank you. I do not trust you to handle such sweet.”

Harry smiles through his curls.

“You don’t?”

Louis shakes his head, trying to look almost royal in the way he holds his chin up, pouring the perfect amount of sugar into a cup.

“Nope, no. You can’t be trusted.”

“ _You_ can’t be trusted.” Harry grins and then, taking Louis completely by surprise he has reached over for the flour and before Louis has time to duck, there’s a cloud of flour in his face.

He closes his eyes as he feels the powder covering his face and when he opens them again Harry holds his hand over his mouth, muffling a laugh.

“Oh my god.” He says, looking ready to crack any second, like a kid just caught in the act of trying to prank his parents.

“Lou snow man!” Luke chirps from his chair and Louis shakes his head, putting the sugar down on the kitchen counter, looking at Harry with deadly eyes.

“Oh no you didn’t.”

Harry giggles, again, the _giggle_ , a grown man shouldn’t giggle, it’s not fucking fair, Louis thinks.

“Oh, but I did.”

“I’ll get you.” Louis warns, reaching for the flour. “Oh, I’ll get you.”

“Louis…” Harry warns him. “I’m your boss. You wouldn’t dare.”

Louis raises his eyebrow.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare? You really _really_ think I wouldn’t dare? Think again Mr Producer.”

Harry yelps, trying to get away but it’s too late, Louis manages to grab him by his shirt and pull him back and then before he has time to struggle free, he pours the entire bag of flour over Harry’s head.

His dark curls turn white and Louis can’t help but to laugh, and laugh and laugh, because he looks so stupid.

Luke is laughing too, like this is the funniest thing that has ever happened in his life.

“Da-da.” He laughs and claps his hands together and Louis turns to him, doing a victory gesture.

“Who beat your daddy, Luke? Isn’t Lou the strongest…”

He is interrupted by a low growl.

“Oh, I’ll get you for that.”

Before Louis has time to think he feels two strong arms around his waist and Harry tackles him to the ground like a rugby player. Louis has time to yelp, pathetic really, and then he falls to the floor in a tangle of limb and curls and flour as Harry’s weight presses down on him.

“Harry!” Louis protests, struggling to get free but Harry has him pinned down, and Louis finds himself just being hopelessly stuck, and not that this is really that bad. He looks up into the mess of flour and green eyes that is Harry’s face, and Harry is grinning.

“Take it back.”

“Take what back?” Louis groans, trying once again to get free but he just have to give up, Harry is really strong, or stronger than he is anyway and he has also an advantage. Louis sighs. Harry smiles.

“You look a bit silly like this.”

“What, underneath you? Thought that is what you wanted.” Louis can’t help but to say that and he feels his body tensing up along with Harry’s as he utter those words, a jolt of passion shooting through him because really, Harry is on top of him and they are lined up together and he is _so_ gorgeous.

Louis feels the familiar heat in his groin and he looks up at Harry who seems to be noticing it too, and Louis can’t really tell if it’s just he that is affected by this, or if Harry is too. He is getting a hard on and his boss is on top of him and this is really crossing the line, they really shouldn’t do this.

“I…” Harry whisper and Louis swallows and then bites his lip, trying to hard not to let this get to him, he can’t, he can’t think about how badly he want Harry to kiss him, not now, not like this, not in the kitchen in a sea of flour when Luke is in his chair and anyone could walk in any second.

Harry’s green eyes are so big, bigger than they have ever been before as he stares at Louis. Louis’ hand gets loose, and Louis uses his finger to brush one of Harry’s curls out of his face.

“I think you look good like this.” Louis whisper and no, it isn’t a smart thing but Louis isn’t smart and right now it really isn’t his brain that gets to decide what will happen.

Harry blinks, as if he is trying to regain focus of the situation. It isn’t easy, Louis can tell because he blinks again and then he swallows. One of Harry’s fingers move to Louis’ hair, brushing it to the side just like Louis touched his curls and he leans in and Louis closes his eyes thinking _yes_ , he is going for it, he is going for the kiss and…

“What are you doing?!”

Louis opens his eyes, meeting Harry’s eyes that are filled with panic by the sound of the voice that is yelling to them, a voice dripping with shock and there is no doubt that it’s Nick. Louis groans, hating everything, hating Nick more than anything.

Harry got to his feet, looking ridiculous with the way he has flour everywhere and Louis tries to get up to but he slips a couple of times and he really doesn’t want Nick to see his erection, even if it’s softening quickly by the sight of him. Nick stands in the doorway, staring at both of them as if he has caught them murdering infants.

“What are you doing?” He repeats, just as panicked as he was before and Harry tries to get rid of the flour covering him as Louis rushes to pretend to care for Luke, even though he really just wants to turn away from Nick.

“We… were making pancakes.” Harry explains and Nick looks dead, he is pale and looks like he can’t breathe.

“Pancakes. On the floor?”

“Isn’t that how you usually make them?”

Louis turns around, winking at Nick and Nick looks ready to strangle him and it is pleasing to see.

“It just happened, it was nothing.” Harry quickly says, not even looking at Louis which is probably a good thing. “I… Uhm… I’ll get changed and we’ll go to the office instead.”

“We better.” Nick says and he watches Harry leave the kitchen, and then he reaches out to grab Louis’ arm.

“Listen, you.”

“Hey!” Louis says, trying to pull away.” That hurts.”

“It better.” Nick growls. “You stay away from him, you understand? Don’t think you can just waltz in here with pancakes and… laughter and…”

“What, you’re afraid he is enjoying himself?” Louis spits out, struggling to get free but sadly Nick is stronger than he is. Nick’s eyes shoot fire at him.

“I could punch you in your pretty face, Tomlinson.”

“Try me.” Louis growls back and then, as if on cue, Luke starts crying.

“I need to take care of the kid.” Louis says and Nick slowly lets him go.

“Just remember what I said.” He says as he turns his back on Louis and leaves, and Louis shakes his head, walking over to Luke to take him out of his chair.

“Daddy needs new friends.” He mumbles to the child, even though he probably can’t understand what he is saying.

 

\--

 

“No, please. Tell me again. I need to hear this again.”

Louis grins, Niall looks really eager and so does Zayn. They are both sprawled out on Niall’s sofa, Louis home for the rare night off and Zayn had some time off too, so they settled for a movie night. So far it’s not been so many movies, mostly Louis talking.

“I’ve told you three times already.”

“I agree with Niall.” Zayn says, eyes glimmering. “I wanna hear about Nick finding you on the floor with Harry, man, I wish I could have been there.”

Louis smiles, it’s really impossible to say no and also, he loves telling the story so who is to rob Niall and Zayn of it? He tells it again and Zayn laughs harder this time, and Niall looks like he is choking.

“Fuck you, Lou.” Niall wipes his eyes, that are getting teary from laughter. “Can’t believe you’re so close to banging the boss, dude. That’s sick.”

“Shut up.” Louis chuckles, slapping him playfully. “You know, we’re not banging. Also, I am completely innocent in all this. He was the one who tackled me to the floor. I just wanted to make pancakes.”

“Mhm, sure.” Zayn’s eyes glimmer with tease as he watches Louis. “No but seriously, that Grimmy dude, what is up with him?”

Louis shakes his head and grimaces, like just hearing the name gives him shivers.

“Uh, I don’t know guys. He follows Harry around like a little puppy dog, so clearly wanting something else. And I don’t know, I don’t really think that Harry notices.”

Niall sighs.

“Come on, he must have noticed it. I’ve been over to the house like, only a few times, and I’ve noticed it.”

Zayn nods, but in agreement with Louis.

“No, I think Lou is right here, I don’t think he knows. He seems completely oblivious to anything about Nick. Probably thinks it’s all about work.”

Niall groans and then chuckles.

“And with Lou, does he think it’s all work there too?”

Louis snickers.

“Well lovelies, I must say, I think I felt a tiny bit of a hard on actually.”

Niall cheers and gives him a high five.

“Good going Lou, off to fuck the boss, only you.”

Louis smiles.

“It’s not like that. Only. Maybe a little.”

Niall and Zayn grins and start talking as Louis takes a deep breath. He thinks about telling them about the kiss after the Christmas party, about the way he gets butterflies in his stomach but he doesn’t do that. He doesn’t want to make a fool out of himself. Anyway he really shouldn’t have those butterflies.

And if it’s only he that knows about them, it’s more like they don’t exist.

 

\--

 

“But Nick I think that we should…”

Harry starts, but he is interrupted by his phone vibrating in his pocket. Nick raises an eyebrow, as if he can’t believe someone has the nerve to bother them.

“Hold on.” Harry excuses himself, while Nick shakes his head. “Uhm, ask Liam if he can bring us tea. It’s Taylor.”

He leaves the office and walks into the corridor instead, because he doesn’t want to talk to Taylor when Nick is nearby, he makes sure that the kids aren’t around either before he picks up, after taking a deep breath.

“Hi Taylor.”

“Harry!”

Taylor’s voice sounds far away, like she is trying to speak through a speaker that doesn’t work properly. Also there are a lot of people around her, but that’s not anything new with her. Harry sighs a little on the inside.

“How are you, Tay?”

“Oh I’m great, Harry. Listen, I was thinking, we’re in town the next week…”

“Mhm…” Harry hums, knowing where this is going already.

“And anyway, I was thinking that I could take the kids for the weekend. And maybe Thursday and Friday too.”

Harry sighs on the inside again, because it’s typical Taylor, showing up without warning.

“I don’t know Taylor, I think that Louis had planned a trip for us…”

“Louis?” Taylor asks, her voice wary. “Who is Louis?”

Harry doesn’t even try to hide the sigh this time.

“Louis, the nanny, I told you about him months ago.”

“Oh, the nanny.” Taylor says, waving it off like it was nothing. “You’re on first name basis now?”

Harry blushes a little, thankful that Taylor can’t see him.

“But they are my kids too, Harry.” Taylor continues. “I haven’t seen them for months.”

“And whose fault is that?” Harry says, voice low and he doesn’t mean for Taylor to hear that but she does.

“Listen.” She hisses. “I don’t see you winning any father of the year awards anytime soon so don’t go all judgemental on me now just because your nanny planned a trip. Now, if I come into town Thursday, can you have them ready for me? I plan to stay at a nicer hotel and they can come stay with me.”

“A hotel.” Harry says, rolling his eyes and again, thankful that Taylor can’t see him. “I bet they would love that.”

There’s irony in his voice but Taylor doesn’t seem to catch that. Instead she chirps on.

“So nice of you, Harry.” She says instead. “See you next week, say hi to Nick from me, okay?”

“Bye.” Harry says, and when he hangs up he groans out in frustration, trying to figure out why it always ends up like this. When he runs his fingers through his hair in frustration Louis shows up.

“Oh, did I interrupt anything?” He asks and he is smiling, an awful nice smile Harry thinks. He tries to smile back.

“Oh, no, just… uhm, the children’s mother is in town, and she wants to spend time with them next week. Guess we have to cancel the trip.”

“Oh.” Louis says, looking a bit disappointed but then he shrugs it off. “Another time, then.”

Harry nods, sighing and Louis looks at him, real concern in his eyes and Harry feels that really he would just want him to hug him, but he can’t do that.

“Harry, are you okay?” Louis asks and Harry nods again, then he changes his mind and shakes his head.

“Uhm, no, not really. I don’t know, I just feel like it’s so much… pressure on the kids. And not good for them, I mean I’m not around and she’s not around and when she is around it’s just… for a short period of time but it’s so intense that the children get used to having her around again and then… she’s gone. It wasn’t that big of a deal before but the twins are getting older and just…”

He can feel himself start shaking, and he doesn’t want to do this, he can’t be upset like this in front of Louis, it isn’t Louis’ place to have to take care of him.

It takes about two seconds though and then he feels a pair of strong arms around him.

“It will be okay, Haz.” Louis whispers, and there’s that sweet nickname that Harry really shouldn’t like but he do, he likes it so much that it’s a bit pathetic really.

“I’m really sorry.” He says, trying to pull himself together. “I shouldn’t act like this.”

“Harry.” Louis grins. “It’s okay, really. People get sad, things get to you. It’s okay to just let it go now and then.”

Harry looks up at him and smiles.

“I don’t usually let go, though.” 

Louis smirks.

“I can tell. Okay, tell you what. How about next week, when we were supposed to go on the trip, you go out with me and the gang instead?”

Harry raises one eyebrow.

“Okay, so the gang means Niall and Zayn.” Louis explains. “Maybe Liam too, if he wants to join us. I could ask him later.”

Harry smiles, a bit unsure.

“I don’t know… maybe it isn’t…”

Louis pats his shoulder.

“Come on, Hazza. It’s not gonna kill you. And you love to spend time with me, don’t you?”

He winks at the end of that and it Harry feels a blush spreading on his cheeks. Damn him for being so adorable. Damn himself for falling for it all the time.

“I’ll think about it, okay?” He says, and Louis smiles.

“Okay. I gotta go pick up the kids, I’ll see you later, okay?”

He turns his back to Harry, skipping down the hallway to get his car keys and Harry can’t help but chuckle as he shakes his head.

_Louis Tomlinson will be the death of me one day._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you had a nice christmas and new year :) here's a new chapter!

Tuesdays are Louis’ favourite day. Mostly because the twins get home from school early and they can go to the park together with Luke, and sometimes even Niall can join them which the kids loves, because Niall is usually off work Tuesdays and he doesn’t mind spending time with kids as long as Louis brings him Liam’s brilliant cupcakes.

Sometimes even Zayn joins them, when they are not shooting the movie because Tuesdays are usually meeting-day, when Harry locks himself up with Nick and maybe some other people from the crew to discuss what they have so far, look at the scenes, talk about if they need something else and if there is something they need to shoot again.

Well, the part about Harry with Nick kind of bothers Louis. It bothers him a lot.

Nick has made it his goal in life to keep Harry away from Louis, but it’s no use, to Louis’ happiness, because it’s obvious Harry likes spending time with Louis. More than likes. One could go as far as to say that Harry actually loves spending time with Louis.

Louis smiles, pleased with this as he watches Demi on the swings, Ashton trying to give her extra speed as Luke is perfectly happy just sitting next to Niall with a stuffed toy.

Taylor will come to pick the kids up this week. Then Harry is going out with Louis. Actually going out.

Maybe together with the gang and probably Harry will be awkward and it will not be what Louis would want, but it is at least something.

And Nick will not be there, Louis thinks to himself.

Apparently his pleased look shows off because suddenly Ashton is by his side, patting his leg to get his attention.

“Why are you smiling like that Louis?” Ashton looks at him with big eyes and Louis can’t help but to grin a bit more. The kid is cute.

“I’m just happy.” Louis explains and Ashton still looks a bit puzzled.

“Is it because we’re leaving?”

Louis laughs and lifts Ashton up with ease, putting him on his lap and hugs him.

“Oh no, why would you think that? Of course that isn’t what makes me happy. I will miss you so much. Who will I make breakfast for in the morning?”

“You don’t make us breakfast.” Ashton giggles. “Liam does.”

There’s a snort from Niall when he hears that and Louis thinks of flipping him off but that wouldn’t at all be appropriate when there are kids nearby.

“Details.” Louis grins and hugs the kid again. Ashton squirms with laughter, he is too ticklish for his own good. “But you should be happy to get to go away for a while. Aren’t you happy to meet your mum?”

“I am!” Demi shouts because she has obviously tired of swinging now when there’s no one pushing her and helping her go higher, so she joins Ashton on Louis’ lap instead. Louis struggles a bit trying to get them both to fit without actually hurting his precious legs.

“Me too.” Ashton’s eyes twinkle as he looks up at Louis. “I don’t remember last time I saw her.”

Louis glances over at Niall and Niall shakes his head, thinking what Louis is thinking, that it is extremely sad. Not that kids usually are really good at telling time, and an hour can be forever and they forget what they did the week before, but still – it just felt sad that Ashton would say that.

“Bet she will spoil you rotten now.” Niall grins as if to lighten the mood and Demi looks puzzled.

“What does that mean?”

Louis can’t help but laugh.

“Don’t bother understanding the Irish, Demi my love. Thy hardly make sense anyway.”

Demi nods with sparkling eyes and Niall looks like he could slap Louis.

“Ni-Ni.” Luke says, reaching out his little hand to pat Niall’s arm and get attention back to their game. Niall smiles.

“One of the kids is wise anyway.” He says with a pleased look and they go back to playing.

 

\--

 

“I could come over this weekend.” Nick says as he watches the pile of paper on Harry’s desk. “We could work this together.”

He fires off what he thinks is a charming smile but Harry doesn’t notice. Instead it’s Liam who just brought in their tea that notices.

“Are you having stomach aches, Mr. Grimshaw?” Liam asks with innocent eyes and Nick stares at him, looking more than angry. Harry looks up.

“No thank you, Nick, this weekend I will be really busy.”

Nick can’t hide his confused expression.

“Busy? But the kids won’t be here! What can you possibly do this weekend then?”

“Louis.” Liam says under his breath, just loud enough so that Nick hears it and drops the biscuit he is holding on to the floor in shock. Harry looks at him.

“I am… going out with friends.”

“Friends?” Nick asks and almost drops the biscuit again, just as he was picking it up. “You don’t have friends!”

Harry looks hurt.

“I do have friends!”

“Me. You have me!” Nick says and Harry rolls his eyes as Liam almost can’t keep from laughing.

“No. I also have Liam and… and Louis and… Louis’ friends…”

“You mean you have people you pay. Is that really friends?”

“Oh we could pay you too, Mr. Grimshaw.” Liam says with a smug smile. “Not to get you to stay, but…”

“I’m going out with Louis and his friends anyway.” Harry says and that ends the discussion, even if Nick looks ready to go into rampage mode.

 

\--

 

“Mr. Grimshaw is not pleased.” Liam snickers as he and Louis enjoys a snack as the children are having dinner. Harry didn’t have time to come for dinner and the kids asked for a picnic kind of buffet, and Liam let them because their mother is coming to pick them up any second now. Louis laughs and feeds Luke pieces of apple that he grabs with his tiny little hands.

“He’s not? What did you do this time, bad, bad Liam?” Louis says with a half-smile and Liam laughs.

“Nothing… I might just have implied a few things that…”

Louis laughs.

“You are so bad.”

“That might be true”. Liam laughs and takes one of Luke’s apples. Louis’ eyes widen.

“And now you are stealing from a child? Oh Liam…”

What Liam is about to say is lost because the kids start shouting.

“MUM.”

“Taylor’s back.” Liam forces a smile and gets up from his seat. Louis is more than curious, he almost feels his stomach flips. This is Harry’s ex-wife, this is the mother of the children. He stops himself from actually running to the door, but he takes really quick steps anyway.

He sees Demi in the arms of a proper, pretty blonde woman, dressed from head to toe in designer outfits and black boots, hair perfectly styled in curls and with blue eyes that are big and happy as she looks at her kids.

“Oh darlings, I missed you so much.” She laughs and hugs both of them. “Where’s your brother?”

“Here.” Louis hurries to hand over Luke to her as Ashton tugs at her designer bag.

“Mum, mum, this is Louis.”

Taylor looks up and then she watches Louis from head to toe as if she is trying to really scan him, making sure that he is fit enough to watch her children, or to see if Harry has messed up with the hiring.

“Hello.” She says at last and her voice is calm and not overly friendly, but it’s not like she sounds angry either so Louis breathes out. “I’m Taylor.”

“Oh hi, uhm, I’m Louis.” Louis hurries to say. He would try to shake her hand but she is holding on to all the kids so he decides it’s rather impossible to get a hand out. “I’m the nanny. Hi.”

“So I’ve been told.” Taylor says and now she is smirking. “Is Louis nice to you, darlings?”

“We love Louis.” Ashton nods. “Really.”

“He takes us to all fun places and plays with us all the time.” Demi nods. Taylor looks pleased. She looks up again and sees Liam.

“Hello Liam.”

“Hi Taylor.” Liam says. “How have you been?”

“Oh you know, busy here and there.” Taylor says and she puts Demi down to be able to hug Ashton properly, even if she is also holding Luke. “Lots to do. Now where’s your father, kids?”

“Working.” Demi pouts. Taylor frowns.

“He works a lot, doesn’t he?”

“Not that much anymore.” Ashton says, eyes twinkling. “Now Louis is here and…”

“Can I interest you in a drink?” Liam interrupts Ashton and Taylor looks up.

“No thank you, Liam, I just wanted to pick the kids up really and get on our way, I think we will go to the hotel room right away, maybe a late night swim in the pool kids?”

The kids cheers. That’s when Harry comes down the stairs.

“Ah now, are you so happy to leave your dad?” He grins and Demi looks up and runs to him. He picks her up and hugs her.

“No daddy.” She says.

“But we like a pool.” Ashton says as if to add on to her statement. Harry grins.

“I understand. Hi Taylor.”

“Hi Harry.” Taylor says and then she picks up her bag. “Come on now kids, say goodbye to your father.”

It takes about five minutes for Ashton and Demi to hug Harry goodbye. Harry kisses them on their foreheads and then he hugs Luke.

“You have everything?”

The children nod as Harry smiles.

“Good. You are better at packing then I am.”

Taylor clears her throat.

“Okay, I’ll have them back by Sunday evening okay?”

Harry nods.

“Okay. Drive safe.”

 

It is so quiet when the children are gone. Louis, Liam and Harry just stand in the living room for a few minutes, just taking in the silence.

“Now what do we do?” Harry jokes and Liam picks up a piece of apple Luke has dropped on the floor.

“I think I will clean up the mess in the kitchen. Wanna help me Lou?”

Louis groans.

“Not really but okay.”

“I can help too.” Harry says and Liam stares at him, an eyebrow raised. Harry doesn’t notice though, just makes his way into the kitchen.

“He’s helping?” Liam snickers. “You are good for him.”

Louis tries not to blush.

 

\--

 

Harry wakes Louis up the next morning. Louis grunts, he is not a morning person and he will never be and it takes him forever to even realise that Harry is waking him up.

“Whattit.” He grumbles, trying to hide the light from his eyes by covering them up with a pillow.

“Louis.” Harry hisses. “I don’t know what to wear. You have to help me.”

Louis looks up, blinking. Harry is in his pyjamas, standing over Louis with panic in his eyes as if there is a fire underneath his bed but it’s not, but there could be a fire down Louis’ boxers because _woah_ , Harry looks so adorable when he’s just waking up, curls everywhere and lips plump and Louis is so close to asking him to just come to bed with him, so close.

He does.

“No rush. Come to bed instead.” He mumbles and rolls over so that Harry can’t see him smirking. He can almost feel the heat from Harry’s cheeks.

“Uh… I should go.”

“Okay, okay, I’m just joking, jeez.” Louis laughs and sits up, hoping Harry can’t see his half-erected dick and also wondering if he can blame it on morning wood. “You don’t have to run away screaming.”

Harry smiles, a bit unsure on what to do.

“I just…”

“Now, sit down.” Louis says and pats the space next to him in the bed. “And tell me why you are waking me up at… 8am?!” He has just seen the display on his phone and his sweet smile is replaced by a grunt. “Why, why, dear Haz, are you waking me up now?”

Harry blushes again and he sits down next to Louis.

“Sorry, I just… I panicked.”

Louis tries to keep the amused smile off his face but he can’t help himself.

“We’re going out tonight. It’s like, 12 hours from now. We have time to get dressed, I promise you. Even if we have to work on that hair…”

He nudges Harry’s side and Harry’s hand flies up to his curls.

“What’s wrong with my hair?”

God, Louis wants to kiss him so bad. He chuckles instead.

“Nothing is wrong with your hair, Haz. I’m only joking. Now please will you just calm down, we’re going out to a club, we’re not meeting the queen.”

“I’ve met the queen.” Harry mutters. “It feels easier than this.”

Louis rolls his eyes. He teasingly slaps Harry’s arm.

“Show off.”

Harry looks at him with innocent eyes.

“What? I don’t…”

“Whatever you say, Hazza.” Louis grins and then he bats him away. “Now will you please leave me alone so I can get dressed? I don’t like my boss looking at me naked.”

Well he would like that but Harry doesn’t need to know that. Harry jumps off the bed as if he has been burned, and his cheeks redden.

“Of course, I am so sorry, I…”

“Harry, don’t worry, okay?” Louis grins. “And calm down.”

Harry doesn’t reply, he just leaves the room and Louis groans, falling back to the pillow and tries to ignore the way his dick is twitching for attention.

 

When it is time to actually go out, when Zayn and Niall comes over to mix drinks with Liam, Harry is a nervous wreck and Louis can’t decide whether it is cute or annoying that he is acting like this.

Louis is sat on Harry’s bed as Harry tries on shirt after shirt, not being pleased with anything. Louis has already told him that he can’t were his tux and he can’t look too posh, and that had Harry writhen in a mess and Louis actually had to go into Harry’s closet to try and find something that wasn’t screaming ‘I work in an office that I haven’t left since forever’.

“I don’t have anything to wear.” Harry says, tossing another shirt on the growing pile by Louis’ feet. “This was stupid. I will go naked!”

Louis smirks.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say no to that.”

Harry blushes and then picks up another shirt, this one is plain and white but as he holds it up against his tanned skin and tight jeans, Louis must admit that it would look pretty good.

“Try that.” He suggests. “People will not look at you that much anyway, they will probably be looking at Zayn, he is the model-gorgeous-son-of-a-bitch.”

Harry smiles.

“You’re not so bad either.”

He looks as if he regrets saying that the second it is out, so Louis tries to act like he didn’t hear it, even if it is pretty impossible to keep the smug smile off his face.

“Perfect.” Louis says as Harry spins for him. “Now can we please go downstairs? Don’t want people start imagining things…” He winks and Harry coughs, grabbing his jacket.

“Oh sure, uhm, yeah.”

 

There are three things Louis will remember about taking Harry Styles out clubbing.

  1. Harry Styles is awkward as fuck when it comes to dancing.
  2. Harry Styles can’t hold his liquor for five seconds and is pretty damned pissed only half an hour into the night.
  3. Harry Styles gets extremely touchy-feely when he’s had too much to drink.



Louis loves all of it.

Especially when Harry clings to him like Louis is the only thing he can hold on to in the entire world. Liam, Niall and Zayn are all laughing at them but Louis couldn’t even care for a second because Harry is holding on to him and he smells good. Really good. And Louis doesn’t want to take advantage of Harry being drunk, but he can at least enjoy the little things.

“Lou… Louis…” Harry leans into him, tall and lanky and Louis tries to keep a stupid grin off his face.

“Yes, Haz?”

“Has… Has someone told you…”

“Told me what?”

“You’re so pretty.” Harry slurs and he giggles, fuck, Louis thinks his giggle should be illegal in 84 states and countries and he can’t count. “I… I should give you a raise.”

Louis snickers, raising an eyebrow.

“Really?”

Harry nods.

“Mhm. Because you take such good care of me and… Liam and…”

“Maybe the children?” Liam has eavesdropped on the conversation and Louis hopes he won’t take Harry away from him, might say that he should go home. Liam just rolls his eyes though as Harry’s eyebrows shoot up as he remembers.

“Oh yes, yes of the kids, of course the kids. Louis, you take such good care of the kids, they love you and I love…”

“Mr. Styles, I think you’ve had quite enough.”

Louis groans. Did Liam really have to interrupt him just as he was given this amazing love speech.

“Evil. You’re evil.” He hisses to Liam, but Liam just smirks and lets Harry lean on him again.

“Just taking care of the boss, you know.”

Louis flips him off and Harry stares at them both. Suddenly he looks a bit dizzy.

“I should take him home.” Liam says and it’s obvious he tries to keep an amused smile off his face.

Niall pouts, he and Zayn have been talking about movies and they only know realise what has been going on with the others.

“Really? It’s not even that late yet.”

“I don’t wanna go home.” Harry pouts as well. “You’re not my dad, Liam.”

Liam chuckles and then grabs Harry’s jacket. He eyes Louis.

“Help me? This is your fault after all.”

“My fault?” Louis looks at him with innocent blue eyes. “How very dare you?”

Liam groans, as if he can’t believe he has to go home with two children.

“Let’s go Louis, I don’t want him puking all over the floors. I just cleaned them.”

Louis grunts.

“Fine.” He says, but he makes sure to show that he doesn’t like this. Zayn and Niall are having a hard time not laughing.

“You guys coming or staying?” Louis asks them and Zayn shrugs.

“We could stay a bit, I guess?” Zayn says, looking at Niall. “I mean, I’ve only had a few drinks.”

Niall agrees.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, dear Niall.” Louis blinks and Niall punches him lightly.

“Fuck off, friend.” He says and starts laughing. “Take care of your boy.”

Louis wants to. Oh, how he wants to.

Liam helps Harry inside the house while Louis makes sure that they lock the doors and don’t get seen by paps or something, not that they would be all that interested but maybe. Harry is groaning.

“I feel sick, Liam.”

“Don’t throw up, please.” Liam begs, closing his eyes. He turns to Louis.

“Did you really need to get him that much to drink?!”

Louis blinks innocently.

“I didn’t do anything!”

Liam rolls his eyes.

“Well in that case, he is your mess. Here.”

He shoves Harry over to Louis’ arms and then he walks up the stairs. Louis tries to stay up while Harry leans against him.

“Uuh hi.” Harry mumbles, arms around Louis and he smells of alcohol and club and a little musky, Louis tries not to make out all the smells. He smiles instead.

“Hi, Haz. Let’s get you some water and then you’re going to bed, okay?”

It’s easier said and done to get Harry to bed, but Louis manages to get him to drink a large glass of water and then places one filled glass by his bedside table. Harry is sitting on the bed and trying to get his shirt off, but it appears to be a struggle and Louis tries not to laugh. He chuckles a little.

“Need help with that?” He asks, and he didn’t mean for his voice to sound seductive and raspy, he really didn’t, but it comes out like that and Harry looks up, eyes blank and cheeks flushed. Louis closes his eyes, trying to not think of all the things he want to do with Harry, really trying not to. He can ignore these feelings now. He can be responsible. He can…

He feels a hand on his leg.

“Please.” Harry murmurs and when Louis opens his eyes Harry has moved so that he is sitting just next to where Louis is standing, his hands now moving up to Louis’ hips and Louis closes his eyes again because this isn’t fair.

“Harry.” He mumbles and looks down at Harry who is a mess of flushed cheeks and curls and ragged breathing. “This isn’t…”

His hands move to tug at Harry’s shirt by their own accord, he didn’t plan to do that but as he does, Harry closes his eyes and the moan that slips past his lips his absolutely filthy, it’s dirty, it’s.

“Louiiis.” Harry whines and his hands are tugging at Louis’ clothing now and Louis loses his balance and ends up on Harry’s lap. “You’re so pretty.”

It’s absolutely unfair, really, really unfair that Harry is like this, Louis buries his face in Harry’s curls and hopes he can vanish in there and not have to deal with how he should walk away from this, how he should really, really, _really_ walk away from this.

“Wanna kiss you.” Harry mumbles against Louis’ ear and Louis feels his skin tingle, he feels like a teenager about to get their first kiss and this is not fair.

“You do?” He mumbles back instead, moving his head so that he can look at Harry and wow, his eyes are so pretty and his entire being is pretty like a Disney movie, he just can’t be like this. Harry nods, blushing as his hand move to caress Louis’ cheek.

“Mhm, yes. I really want to kiss you, Lou.”

One kiss has never hurt anyone anyway.

Louis nods as Harry’s breath hitches and then Harry tugs him closer with a force, a need Louis didn’t know he had in him and when he closes the distance between their lips Louis actually forgets to breathe, he just kisses. Harry’s lips are so wet and plump and wonderful and his mouth opens right away and Louis can’t resist, how is he really supposed to resist such a beautiful, beautiful mouth and his tongue licks his way into Harry’s mouth, his tongue meeting Harry’s and they slide together wetly for a while, before Louis decides it’s fun to taste every corner of Harry’s mouth and he does just that, and Harry moans into his mouth as he does so. God, this is better than Louis had imagining it to be, Harry’s hands move over his back and he kisses with such passion, and Louis feels like he is lighter than air, like he is walking on clouds and he never ever want to break the kiss, never.

He whines as Harry does so, breaking it off with a gasp.

“Stay with me tonight.” He gasps as he watches Louis with flushed cheeks and red lips, looking absolutely amazing. “Please Lou, stay with me tonight.”

Louis whimpers, feeling absolutely lost in this, he wants to kiss Harry forever and ignore everything else. He really wants to.

“I can’t.” He whispers and it takes every willpower in his body to get up from Harry’s lap. “I can’t, Harry.”

Harry looks as if Louis just kicked him.

“You don’t want to?”

Louis closes his eyes. Fuck his life.

“I can’t.” He whispers again, instead and he tries to ignore the way Harry looks close to tears. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“Oh.” Harry says and he looks so hurt, Louis wants to slap himself for making him look like this. “Okay.”

“Harry…”

“No it’s fine, I… okay.”

Louis wants to cry.

“Good night.” He whispers as he watches Harry turn over and make sure his back is towards Louis. “I… sleep tight.”

Harry doesn’t answer him and Louis quietly makes his way back to his room and when the door closes he starts crying. It’s such a fucking mess everything, everything in his life.

“I did the right thing. He was drunk.” He once again talks to his ceiling and wonders when it will start answering him.

It doesn’t this time either.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI okay I am sorry this took like forever, I really hope that the next chapters won't take so long. If you're still here, thank you so much x I hope it will be worth the wait.

Harry doesn’t want to talk to Louis for three days. He spends the first day being extremely hung over and in a crappy mood, which puts Liam in a crappy mood because Liam doesn’t really know why Harry is being such a baby and so annoying, and therefor he comes to Louis to try to get Louis to explain and Louis just _can’t_. Which leaves Liam even more annoyed and Louis have to deal with the fact that two people he really care about is going around being annoyed at him which feels horrible because Louis really just wants them to talk to him.

Louis keeps trying to tell himself he did the right thing, he did but it’s hard to keep trying to tell yourself that when Harry is ignoring him like the plague. Also he is sometimes regretting ever saying no to those kisses, ever saying no to _touch_ him, ever saying no to _anything_ Harry Styles would ask of him.

Niall practically has to force it out of him.

“Okay, love.” He sits down next to Louis, Louis is sitting in Niall’s bed trying to read some footie magazine he found on the floor but he can’t be arsed to actually care about it. “Now you will tell me what is wrong. Because this? This is ridiculous. Last time I saw you, you were all fun and games and flirting and now you’re like a moping shit and I do not like that look on my best mate’s face, nope, I don’t.”

Louis flips him off, earning a shocked gasped from Niall, but he doesn’t care.

“I don’t feel like talking.” He says, hoping his voice isn’t cracking. Niall rolls his eyes and then he tackles Louis over. They wrestle for a bit, Niall winning because Niall is really into wrestling and stronger than Louis, and Louis has no energy what so ever for fake wrestling right now, he just wants to be left alone.

“I won.” Niall says, like this was a competition. “Now you have to tell me what’s wrong.”

“I do not.” Louis protests, trying to get free but Niall pins him down. “We didn’t bet.”

“Call it universal law.” Niall decides and Louis groans, hating his friend, hating life, hating _everything_.

“Fine.” He spits out, and Niall smiles. “Fine. Harry kissed me.”

Niall tickles him and Louis really tries not to laugh because he most likely will end up in tears by the end of it. He doesn’t want to cry, he is better than tears. Really. He can’t cry over this.

“Kissing the boss? Oooh…”

“And he asked me to stay the night.”

“Woop woop, you go Lou!” Niall cheers and is about to go for a high five before he sees the look on Louis’ face. “Wait what, why is getting laid turning you into a miserable little…”

“We didn’t do anything.” Louis sighs and then Niall lets him go and Louis can sit up, as Niall watches him with wary eyes, like he is obviously not buying any of this because he knows Louis, and Louis really isn’t one to walk away.

“You didn’t do anything?”

“No.” Louis sighs again and he doesn’t feel like telling Niall about all of it but he knows he probably will have to because Niall doesn’t give up after half a story, that’s really not in his nature. Damn those Irish men. “No, we didn’t because he was drunk and I was not ready to… to do anything that he was asking me to do when I didn’t know if he really wanted it. Or if it was just alcohol. So I walked away.”¨

“You walked…” Niall opens and closes his mouth again, staring at Louis and looking very much like a gold fish with a bleach job. “You are trying to tell me that you, Louis Tomlinson, walked away from a perfect good opportunity to get into the pants of the man you’ve been pining over for months?”

“That’s just what happened, okay?” Louis mumbles and he feels a bit better talking about it, actually even if it’s not perfect. “I mean I just didn’t want us to regret anything and make things awkward, I mean I love that job Niall, the kids are great and Liam is great and Harry is… I didn’t want to mess things up. You get it, right?”

Niall nods, putting one arm around Louis for support.

“Yeah, yeah of course I get that. But it’s still like… he wasn’t that drunk, wasn’t he?”

“He was that drunk.” Louis mumbles because he was. “I mean he couldn’t even stand up. I wasn’t gonna go for it. Only problem is that know he won’t even talk to me and I don’t know why. Is he feeling bad because of what happened? Is he angry at me? Is it…”

“I don’t know mate.” Niall shrugged. “And I’m sorry, but I think that if you want to know, you will probably have to talk to Harry. We can only guess, aye?”

“Yeah.” Louis mumbles, really feeling like he doesn’t want to speak to Harry. “Yeah.”

 

\--

 

“Sir, if you want to hear what I think…”

“No thank you, Liam.” Harry says and he is so tired, and he has so much work to do and there isn’t really time for Liam to try and get him to _see_ things. Liam sighs.

“You should talk to Louis, sir.”

“I don’t want to talk to Louis.” Harry pouts, he didn’t mean to pout but he did and now Liam is rolling his eyes. Harry blushes, feeling stupid and tries to focus on his papers instead, all those papers just filling up his desk and screaming to be read. Liam sits down next to him.

“I don’t know sir, I don’t know what happened between you but I must say that since Louis got here, this whole family has been like a whole new world and… now it’s not like that.”

Harry sighs, and he turns to Liam, looking at him with eyes that he hope will get him to go away.

“Liam, I really don’t want to talk about me and Louis.”

“Did something happen that night?”

“Liam!” Harry groans, hiding his face in his hands. “What part of _I don’t want to talk about me and Louis_ didn’t you understand? I’m serious, I don’t feel like talking about it. If you excuse me, I actually have to do this work now and then I’m calling Nick so if you could just… go check on the kids or…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence. Liam just shakes his head.

“You can’t help if you feel… _things_ , sometimes, sir.” Liam says as he gets up from his chair. Harry feels his body tensing.

“I don’t feel things.” He mumbles and he is blushing again. Liam sighs.

“I think we both know that is a complete lie.” He says, and then he is leaving. Harry groans and falls back against the back of his chair. This is a mess. A complete mess.

 

\--

 

“Daddy, come tell us a bedtime story again. With Louis.” Demi begs as Harry passes the room just as Louis is putting the twins to bed. Louis blushes lightly as he hears what Demi is asking. He looks up, unsure if he even dares to meet Harry’s eyes, and Harry stops in the doorway, looking at his daughter with a half-smile. Louis takes a deep breath. If he can smile around him maybe the worst is over.

“Sorry darling, it’s already late.” Harry says as Demi pouts. Ashton is already half asleep, hugging his teddy bear. Louis smiles a little.

“Tomorrow, okay?” He says and kisses Demi’s forehead. She sighs.

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Harry and Louis say at the same time, and Louis quickly glances over at Harry and they are blushing both of them, and Louis has to shake his head because this is really _stupid_.

Demi seems pleased with that because she jumps up in her bed without even grumbling about it and then she closes her eyes too, looking at ease with the whole situation. Louis smiles and gets up to turn the light off and close the door. Harry waits for him.

“Uhm… hi.” Harry says and Louis feels a bit nervous.

“… hi.” He manages to say and his voice isn’t that high pitched. Not really. He can see Harry swallow, his Adam’s apple moving and his neck is just… wow, has his neck always been that long? Louis swallows himself, and it’s too awkward.

Harry swallows again.

“Uh, could we maybe, uh… talk?”

Louis nods, a bit too quickly but he doesn’t care. ¨

“Yeah. Talk. We can do that.”

“Uh… my room?” Harry asks and he looks a bit awkward by that and Louis understands him, he would be too but he isn’t going to say no to that. “I just, there’s nothing in there that can remind me of work and I just… I really need to get away from work.”

Louis nods.

“Yeah, sure.”

Harry leads him there, as if Louis would have forgotten the way and when he closes the door, Louis doesn’t know what to do because he has never been this nervous in his life and it’s pathetic because he is Louis, he doesn’t get nervous, he has never been nervous like this around a person and it’s just strange. Harry clears his throat.

“I’m sorry, about everything.”

“Uh, me too.” Louis says. “I mean…”

Harry shakes his head so fast curls are dancing around his cheekbones and he smiles a little.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. I mean… you were the responsible one. You did nothing wrong.”

Louis blushes. Harry looks so genuinely nice, he wants to hug him, he wants him to hold him, he wants…

“I’m still sorry.” Louis says. “Or I mean… I thought you were mad at me.”

Harry shakes his head again. He takes a step closer and Louis has to fight every urge in his body to not just jump into his arms. Really. He _can’t_ do that.

“I was never mad at you. Uh. I was mad at myself, really.”

Louis nods.

“Okay. Yeah. I…”

“You’re just so pretty, Louis.” Harry whispers, as if it is the most normal thing in the world to say. Louis swallows, he really doesn’t mind. “I mean you’re… wow. I just can’t focus around you, and it’s like I just… lose myself. It’s a bit scary, actually.”

“I’m not scary.” Louis mumbles and he blushes and he really tries to keep his eyes from Harry’s lips, he really can’t kiss him right now, it would be so wrong because… it would be _wrong_.

Harry smiles. His fingers run over Louis’ hand, tracing the tattoos he can touch without going further up the arm.

“Well, you kinda are. It’s scary sometimes to feel… like I feel about you.”

Louis wants to cry, he really wants to cry because how he is supposed to not kiss Harry right now? How is he supposed to walk away from this? It’s wrong and he shouldn’t but he just can’t Harry is right there and he is sober and he is looking at Louis with big, beautiful eyes and he is just _there_. Harry closes in even more, his body know almost pressed against Louis’, as the hand that isn’t currently touching his wrists, move around the small of his back, pulling Louis closer.

“Harry…” Louis whispers because they shouldn’t, wow, this is such a world of no, he really can’t. Harry leans in, their noses touching now as their lips are only inches apart and Louis can feel his hot breath against his own lips, almost tasting them again. He swallows. Harry is trembling.

“Tell me… You don’t want this.” He mumbles. “Tell me you don’t want to and I will stop.”

“Harry.” Louis closes his eyes and take a deep, shaking breath as his arms find their way up around Harry’s neck, holding him like they are in some kind of slow dance as they both try to be as close as possible to the other without really actually touching. “We really shouldn’t…”

Harry’s hand move over his back, now just where he can actually touch the skin where Louis’ shirt is almost sliding up a bit and it’s like Louis feels a spark of electricity through his spine when Harry touches him. It’s not fair.

“Why not?” Harry mumbles and he is so close now, they actually almost are kissing, he is mumbling into Louis’ mouth and Louis is a mess, he is going to go to hell for this. He swallows.

“Uhm… because the kids and… Liam and… everything and…”

Harry shakes his head just slightly, when he does his lips brushes against Louis and Louis is actually surprised his legs just doesn’t give in.

“The kids are asleep. Liam won’t notice, he won’t care, Louis please I… don’t you want this just as much as I does? I can’t have read all the signs wrong can I?”

Louis shakes his head. He hasn’t. No way.

“No.” He breathes out and Harry sighs with relief and then, then he closes the distance between them for real.

Louis actually whimpers which is pathetic, but when Harry presses his lips against his, mouth already half open, inviting and ready and Louis wants to taste all of him. Harry moves them back against the wall, pressing Louis against the wall just softly enough so that it doesn’t hurt, but so that he can really feel the heat coming from Harry’s body. Harry sighs with relief again as Louis’ tongue darts out of his mouth to meet Harry’s, and then their mouth are opened and Louis is licking his way into Harry’s mouth and tasting all of him, as he feels every fibre of Harry’s body reacting. Louis sees stars as he lets his hands move over Harry’s back, up to his neck and getting tangled in his curls and tugging him closer, Harry grinning into the kiss as his hands move to cup Louis’ bum, pulling him up just slightly and Louis moans, he doesn’t mean to but there is no stopping this. He kisses Harry back even more passionately, kisses Harry back with all the energy he can muster and all the built up frustration he has felt these last couple of days, weeks, months; all the frustration he has felt since the moment he first laid eyes on him.

Harry groans a little, pressing himself even closer and Louis can feel that there is a very obvious bulge in those painfully tight jeans and Louis wants it, he wants to ravish Harry, wants to completely take him apart and watch him whimper underneath him.

He kisses him again, pressing back into Harry so that Harry can feel that Louis’ erection is just as hard, just as needing as his own and it makes Harry grins into the kiss and before Louis can even realise it Harry has him in up in the air, giving Louis only time to yelp and wrap his arms and legs around him as Harry carries him over to the bed.

He puts Louis down gently, grinning down at him and Louis has to take a couple of deep breath to not faint as Harry then starts to unbutton his shirt, slowly with long, gracious fingers so that Louis can watch how skin is slowly, slowly becoming more exposed and fuck, Louis is dying, he is going to _die_.

When Harry’s shirt falls to the floor, Louis pushes himself up from the bed so that he can grab Harry’s belt and pull him down on top of him, licking over his tattoos on his chest before he starts to unbutton his jeans.

“How do you even get into these?” He mumbles as he struggles to even get his thumb in to pull them down. “So tight.”

“I think you’re on your way to get into them.” Harry grins as he kisses Louis again and oh god, Louis is very much in love with him, thank you very much, he is so in love with this dorky idiot.

He manages to get Harry’s jeans off him, revealing black silk boxers that is very tight and does not leave much for imagination as Louis’ eyes falls on Harry’s very, very big erection and he has to groan.

“Unfair, you’re gorgeous and you’ve got a huge dick. I am filing a complaint.”

“Shut up.” Harry pants and starts tugging at Louis’ shirt. “You’re so gorgeous Lou, I am nothing compared to you.”

Louis wants to argue but then Harry’s hands move over his cock, his very hard cock that is currently being extremely uncomfortable against his zipper and this is not making it any better.

“I want you.” Harry mumbles. “I’ve been wanting you for so long, so long.”

“Same.” Louis groans and then Harry is finally unbuttoning his jeans, starting to pull them down. He lifts his hips up to help and Harry tosses his jeans almost violently on the floor, like a desperation even worse than what they are already going through is filling his body. His shirt comes off next and when it does, Harry lies down on Louis, pressing their erections together as he starts rolling his hips in small circles and it’s not fair. Louis gasps out and tugs him in to a kiss, flipping them over so that he is on top.

“Stop.” He pants as he sucks a mark into Harry’s neck. He will probably really regret that tomorrow but right now he doesn’t care because Harry is his right now, even if it’s just for a night Harry is his and he wants everyone to know, he wants the world to know. “You will make me come in my pants and that it’s not what I had planned.”

“And what did you have planned?” Harry asks and his lips are red and plump as his cheeks are flushed and he looks wrecked already, voice so deep and hoarse and Louis will die.

“Want to fuck you.” Louis murmurs as he presses his lips against Harry’s again, just enough so that they are touching and that he can still speak to him. “I would very much like to fuck you.”

“I…” Harry groans and his eyes shutter close. “I would like that. Yeah. Fuck. Yes please Lou.”

Louis grins and kisses him again, moving down to release Harry from his boxers. It does it slowly, revealing him inch by inch and the sounds coming from Harry is beautiful. Oh yes, he could really well get used to this.

When Harry’s erection spring free it slaps against his stomach and Louis has to squeeze himself through his boxers to get the pressure to lessen because oh god, Harry is huge and thick and red and it’s so beautiful. He looks up at Harry, smiling a little and Harry blushes.

“Don’t tease me.”

Louis laughs.

“Oh, Haz, I will so totally tease you. Just wait.”

And he hears Harry groan as he bows his head down, licking the head of his cock just carefully, just enough to make Harry feel it but not nearly enough for it to be enough. Harry rocks his hips upwards, groaning again as Louis presses kisses all over his shaft, just as he lets his hand move to cup Harry’s balls.

“Lou, don’t… fuck, I need you.” He hears Harry gasping and he looks up, grinning again because wow, having Harry Styles begging for you is the best thing in the whole world Louis decides as he takes the head of Harry’s cock in his mouth.

He hasn’t planned to actually go through the whole blow job process because really he wants to start opening Harry up, wants to fuck him until he is screaming, but then again Harry is huge, really huge and Louis has always enjoyed a challenge. He tries to take Harry all the way down to the base, smiling when he feels him hit the back of his throat and Harry completely whimpering, speaking words he can’t even make out.

“Lou… Lou… god I…”

Louis can hear he is close and no, no he is not coming like this so he lets go, crawling on top of Harry again as Harry makes a disappointed sound. He grins and kisses his collarbones, seeing marks already showing there.

“Got stuff?” He mumbles and Harry is panting and then he nods.

“Drawer… fuck, Lou, now.”

Louis wastes no time, he lunges himself at the little drawer next to Harry’s bed and thankfully the lube and condoms aren’t that hidden. He pauses for a moment thinking of Harry doing this with other people and then pushes the thoughts away. He tosses it to the bed and then he wriggles out of his own underwear for Harry to see. Harry’s eyes widen when Louis lies down naked on top of him, grinding their crotches together.

“Beautiful.” Harry groans as Louis kisses his neck. “You’re so beautiful.”

“You are.” Louis mumbles and then he manages to get the bottle of lube open, coating his fingers. “So…”

“Fuck Louis, now.” Harry demands and Louis grins, moving his hand over Harry’s crack, circling his entrance teasingly before he pushes one finger in. Harry gasps, tugging Louis into a kiss as Louis’ finger slides deeper inside, wriggling it around a little before the sounds coming from Harry tells him that it is okay to go on, and he slides a second finger in. Harry falls back onto the pillows, biting on to his wrist to not scream out and Louis grins.

“Just from my fingers, baby? Oh, just wait until I get started, if I knew it was this easy to…”

“Louis I swear to god if you don’t get on with this…” Harry warns and Louis can’t help but chuckle even if he himself is so close already, and he pushes a third finger in, letting them scissor and open Harry up as Harry makes the most beautiful sounds. They really should have done this sooner, god, Louis should have done this the first night he saw him.

“Need you now.” Harry pants and Louis thinks of teasing him, but he is so hard himself it hurts and if he doesn’t get on with this he will come before he is even in Harry and that would be a disaster, so he removes his fingers, fishing a condom out of the box.

He is about to open it when Harry takes it from him, watching Louis with big, black from lust, eyes and then slowly he opens it, rolling the condom over Louis’ throbbing member as he doesn’t stop looking at him. Louis has to swallow and then close his eyes because fucking hell, who thought _this_ could be so sexy.

“Harry…” Louis breathes out and Harry bites his bottom lip, nodding.

“Lou, please now, I… I need you.”

Louis nods and then he lines himself up, Harry wrapping his legs around him and then Louis pushes inside him, finally, finally getting to feel what he feels like and Harry gasps, a bit louder than they probably can afford to be but Louis doesn’t care because oh god, this is the best feeling he has ever experienced, Harry feels so tight and he is sweaty and he is gorgeous and Louis is filling him up so completely.

“Fuck.” Louis gasps and thrusts inside a couple of times, seeing how Harry is reacting to hit and Harry is moaning so beautifully underneath him, tugging Louis in for a kiss as they move together, slow, steady, deep thrusts where Louis manages to find Harry’s prostate and get him to bite down on Louis shoulder to keep himself from screaming out of pleasure.

It’s over too soon. Louis has kind of lost track of time but when he feels the familiar sensation in his stomach he just knows that it is too soon because he wants to do this forever.

“God, Harry I… I am so close.” He groans and Harry nods, kissing him again before gasping out.

”It’s okay, me too, fuck I…”

Louis’ orgasm washes over him as Harry tugs him in, biting his bottom lip. He moans into Harry’s mouth as he empties himself, filling up the condom and feeling completely drained as he collapses on top of Harry. Harry groans and then Louis feels his cock twitching between their bodies and Harry comes too, splashing his come all over them both and Louis can’t help but laugh because oh wow fuck, this was just amazing. He is still grinning as he slides out of Harry, rolling over so that he is lying next to him. Harry turns to the side to look at him and he is smiling, cheeks flushed and wow, Louis thinks, this is what Harry looks like when he is newly fucked and it could very well be the best view in the world.

“Hi.” Louis smiles and Harry smiles back, his eyes wander over his body and he chuckles a little again, as he sees all his spunk drying into the sheets.

“Oops.” Harry says and tugs Louis in for a kiss. “Did we complicate things now?”

Louis laughs, he really can’t help himself.

“Yeah, yeah I guess we did.”

Harry smiles, moving his hands over Louis’ body as if he is trying to draw a map of all his bones.

“I don’t really mind.” He whispers and Louis blushes.

“Me either.”

They are quiet for a while and Louis clears his throat when the silence has been awkward for long enough, and when he has caught his breath enough to not sound like a panting idiot.

“I… I should maybe get back…”

“Stay.” Harry whispers, hand on Louis’ arm. “Please.”

Louis looks at him, he looks sweet and loving and…

“Okay.” He whispers back. “But I’m going back tomorrow morning before Liam notices.”

Harry smiles, putting his arm around Louis, making it impossible for Louis to not make himself comfortable on Harry’s chest.

“Deal.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY new chapter. God guys I am so sorry I absolutely SUCK at updating but I am so busy ugh. I'm sorry okay. Please if you're still reading I LOVE YOU and I owe you my first borns.

Louis feels so at ease with everything in life when he feels someone nudging his side. He groans a little, not really knowing why but he does not want to open his eyes, he wants to stay this way forever because this was really comfortable, it’s like he’s sleeping in a new bed with new pillows and…

He feels a couple of soft lips pressing against his neck.

“Louis?”

Louis smiles, eyes still closed. Oh right, he _is_ in a new bed and he and Harry had sex last night, it actually happened. Louis wants to give himself a high five when he feels Harry kissing him again, tugging him closer.

“You said you wanted to get back into your own bed before Liam wakes up. It’s almost 5, I think he will wake up soon, he always goes for morning jogs.”

Louis groans. Of fucking _course_ Liam has to be an early riser and yes, it would be really bad if someone found out about them. Okay, he will probably tell Liam everything about it later but Harry doesn’t need to know that. And it is obvious the thought of someone finding them in Harry’s bed makes Harry uncomfortable because why else is Harry waking up by himself before 5?

“Kicking me out?” Louis mumbles, teasing a little as he cuddles closer to Harry just to get some of that warmth that always seems to be radiating from Harry’s skin. He doesn’t want to leave that, not right away. Harry chuckles softly and wraps his arms around him, holding him close for a few seconds.

“Yeah, you know, I’m not really one to eat breakfast with my one night stands.”

Louis can hear the teasing in his voice and it fills his heart with something he’s not really comfortable with because the way Harry is joking about this, the way Harry is joking about them being only a one night stand, treating this like it is so obvious it will be something else that you can joke about it, that scares him a little. He snorts.

“Oh please, Styles. Like I’d want to have breakfast with you anyway.”

Harry smiles and tugs him in for a kiss. It’s sweet and soft, he only tastes a little bit like morning breath and Louis sighs with relief, sinking into the welcoming mouth of Harry Styles, not really caring if they ever, ever break the kiss.

“Really you should go.” Harry mumbles, lips still pressed against the corner of Louis’ mouth. “I mean, unless you want Liam to find you.”

Louis groans and then he pulls away from Harry, sitting up in the bed and searches the room to locate his clothes.

“Can’t believe you’re making me do the walk of shame across the hall.”

Harry just chuckles and pulls his blankets over his head. Louis is pretty sure he can see a blush which is way too adorable for a grown man. He wants to punch something to try to feel manly.

He manages to put his boxers on and struggles with his jeans, Harry still watching him from the bed, partly covered with a blanket over his face. Louis pulls his shirt over his head and then he leans in for another kiss.

“So… will you call me again?” He teases and Harry groans, throwing a pillow at him.

“Just get out, Tomlinson.”

 

\--

 

“Lou got laid.”

“Niall!” Louis hisses, grabbing his arm. “You cannot say things like this when we are in the park in the middle of a bunch of kids. And Zayn!”

Zayn chuckles as he hears that, so much he’s almost choking on the soda he’s currently taking sips from. Niall just rolls his eyes.

“The kids are far away and believe me I’m sure Zayn knows about sex.”

Louis groans.

“Maybe I didn’t even get laid.”

Niall rolls his eyes again, reaching over to grab a grape from the picnic basket, eating it before speaking to Louis again.

“Come on you have that glow. I know it all too well.” Niall groans as he nudges Zayn as if they both have this bond all of a sudden. Louis sighs.

“Okay so maybe…”

Zayn and Niall both leans in closer to really hear what he’s saying because Louis’ voice is now low because he does not want the kids to hear this, no way, they will be scared for life.

“Maybe there might have been… events of the… adult kind… last night.” Louis says and Zayn grins as Niall’s throws a fist in the air.

“I knew it, I fucking knew it!”

“Niall!” Louis hisses. “Can we please not curse in front of the children.”

Niall chuckles.

“Oops. But seriously, you and Harry, really?”

“How was it?” Zayn grins and Louis wants to hide and disappear, because he is so not discussing this with them here, not in a park where there are children and other people and just… no.

“Gentlemen, can we please not talk about this when there are children nearby?” He hisses, tempted to throw the remaining food in the picnic basket on them both. Niall grins and takes a look around.

“Come on, they won’t hear us. Now, spill.”

Louis groans. He regrets ever even meeting Niall and meeting Zayn and more, getting them both to hang out and become friends because now he has two idiots to deal with and that isn’t what he signed up for, no sir. He sighs and signs for them to get closer.

“It was great, okay? Amazing. God, I am not one to say this but it could very well be one of the best nights in my life.”

Niall makes a woop-sound and then he is high fiving Zayn who just falls into their friendly banter so easily.

“I knew it. So, are you seeing him again?”

Louis stares at him.

“Niall, he is my boss. I see him basically every day. There’s like, no way I can actually avoid him.”

Niall rolls his eyes as Zayn chuckles, eating a grape.

“You know what I mean. Are you really seeing him again? Or was it a onetime thing that will now haunt you for life as you awkwardly try to live around each other again?”

Louis swallows. He really hasn’t thought about that.

“Uhm I… I don’t think so? I mean he was cute in the morning when I left to go back to my room, but then we haven’t really… talked about it.”

“Well… talk about it!” Niall says and gets an agreeing nod from Zayn, as if this is the easiest thing in the world. Again, Louis hates them.

“Niall, I don’t know… I will, okay? Tonight, when there’s not like… kids around, god.” He groans, hiding his face in his hands as Niall and Zayn just chuckle. “Now can you please go entertain the kids instead of bothering me?”

Zayn snickers.

“Isn’t that your job? Or wait is that gonna change now when you’re fu…”

“ZAYN!”

 

\--

 

Louis has never been more thankful to drop Zayn and Niall off and just go back with the kids. The kids are sleepy and a bit hungry, and Louis is exhausted from trying to avoid questions. He basically drops the kids into Liam’s arm, telling him to feed them as he himself just drops almost dead on the sofa. He closes his eyes, napping off for a moment, waking up to see Liam standing over him.

“And why are you so tired?”

“Long day.” Louis groans. “Park is exhausting.”

“Oh.” Liam smirks and Louis stares at him. Oh?!

“Liam, what?” Louis mutters and Liam chuckles.

“Oh, I just thought the reason you were exhausted was because you spent a lot of time during the night… not sleeping.”

Louis sits straight up.

“Liam!” He hisses. “Ho.. How do you know?”

Liam chuckles, looking extremely pleased.

“I know everything Louis, there is no hiding from me in this house. So…” He wriggles his eyebrows and Louis just groans, hiding his face in a cushion feeling absolutely embarrassed.

“Go away.” He groans and Liam just chuckles, patting his shoulder.

“Congratulations Louis.”

Louis can’t help but smile a little and is just about to say something when Harry enters the room, obviously getting back from a job because he is wearing sweats, hair in a silly headband, and he looks sweaty and Louis feels weak. Harry stares a little at both of them, then smiling.

“Hey guys.”

“Oh, hi sir.” Liam smiles. “Did you have a good jog?”

Harry looks at Liam, then at Louis and he smiles a little and Louis just knows that he can see the way he’s affecting Louis and Louis wants to kiss him breathless.

“I did actually. It was a good workout.”

“Those late workouts are the best, sir.” Liam smirks and before Harry has time to react he is just tossing him a bottle of water, then going up to his room. Harry and Louis are left alone. Louis bites his lip, just looking at Harry who isn’t saying anything. Louis has just worked up to courage to even say one thing when Harry starts drinking water, just gulping it down from the bottle slowly, eyes fixed on Louis as if he knows how this can look like, his it looks as he swallows and then he is licking his lips and…

Louis’ jaw drops. Harry can obviously tell because he smirks and then as Louis is just about to ignore everything and pin him against the wall and take him, he has disappeared up the stairs. Louis falls back onto the cushions, feeling his tight jeans becoming a million times tighter. Who does Harry Styles even think he is, just drinking water like that?

Oh no. No, no. He is not teasing Louis. This is a game he won’t win.

 

\--

 

Louis makes sure the kids are off to school alright and Luke is napping when he also makes sure today is a day when Mr. Grimshaw won’t be over to the house, and then he starts his plan to get Harry back for just daring to drink water in that way in front of him. He slips into Harry’s office before Liam can even tell what he’s doing, closing the door and locking it behind his back, as Harry looks up from the pile of paper, surprised to see him.

“Louis. Hi.”

“Oh hello there, Harold.” Louis chippers, making his way over to the desk, eyeing Harry with eyes that can be both nice and teasing. Harry stares at him, biting his lip.

“Did you want something Louis?”

“Oh, I think we both know what I want.” Louis grins and Harry swallows a little, and then a smile dances on his lips.

“Oh really? What’s that?”

Louis takes it as an invitation that Harry is obviously flirting back, so he doesn’t even try to feel bad as he sit down on Harry’s desk, completely ignoring that he might be sitting on some important papers. He watches Harry in his seat looking back at him, just waiting to see what Harry will do but Harry isn’t doing or saying anything

He licks his lips, making sure that Harry is watching and when he sees Harry swallowing again, moving a little in his chair, he innocently sucks one finger into his mouth, just crossing his legs. He keeps it up for a while, then smiles, moving closer.

”Oh, Mr. Styles.” Louis smirks, his bum resting comfortably at the edge of Harry’s desk as he watches the man in his chair practically squirm as he tries to keep calm. “Maybe it’s time for me to give you a raise this time?”

Harry tries to say something but chokes, no words coming out of his lips and Louis leans forward to grab his tie, pulling him closer. Oh how Louis is loving this, he’s going to get Harry back for drinking that bottle of water so badly Harry will be…

“Louis.” Harry groans as Louis tugs him even closer. “We can’t…”

“Why not?” Louis purrs, feeling absolutely amazingly naughty and he is not going to let this moment slip out of his hands. “I locked the door.”

Harry swallows, looking around, as if he is worried someone might actually be hiding in the room watching them.

“You…”

“And you deserve to be punished.” Louis continues, still purring like a little kitten as his hands undoes the top bottoms of Harry’s shirt, the tie already loose. “You teased me really badly last night.”

Harry makes a sound, somewhere between laughter and a snort and Louis just has to have him. There is no way he is walking away.

“Come on…” He mumbles, now gliding down from the desk, settling on the soft rug in front of Harry’s chair instead, his face now close to Harry’s crotch. “One, little blowjob?”

“On…” Harry gasps and his eyes flutter close and Louis just knows he’s won. He’s getting it. He licks his lips and yes, Harry isn’t complaining as Louis’ hands move from the tie and shirt, instead starting to work on his trousers.

The sounds coming from Harry are absolutely amazing, Louis decides. Especially when Louis manages to pull his zipper down with his teeth, Harry arching his hips up so that Louis can hook his thumbs to his trousers, pulling them down smoothly. The black boxers Harry is wearing leaves nothing to imagination, Louis can perfectly see Harry’s erection and it makes him so happy he actually has to bite his lip to not start grinning like a goof. The fact that he can do this to Harry, turn him on so badly is something that will keep him alive for many, many years. He smirks and then pulls Harry’s boxers off, grinning as he sees Harry’s already leaking erection, just waiting to be sucked and played with. Louis has never been happier.

“Lou…” The nickname rolls off Harry’s lips like a prayer and Louis groans a little, licking his lips and wrapping his hand around Harry’s erection, giving him a few pumps, collecting the precome from his slit with his thumb, smearing it all over his shaft.

“You want this?” He mumbles and Harry bites his lip, just looking down at Louis and nodding, and Louis is not going to stop now. Smirking, he licks carefully over Harry’s slit, spurred on by the moans Harry is already making. He licks the head again, then softly taking Harry into his mouth, inch by inch letting the hot shaft disappear into his mouth, remembering perfectly how he can make Harry feel, and realising how he has missed it already.

Harry moans, making perfectly great sounds and moving his hands to tug at Louis’ hair and Louis can’t help but smirk, taking Harry all the way to the back of his throat and massaging Harry’s balls softly.

“Fuck.” Harry gasps and Louis loves this, loves the way Harry starts cursing when he’s turned on, loving the fact that he already knows this. He bobs his head, sucking harder and Harry is practically squirming in his chair as Louis swallows him down.

“Lou… god Lou…” Harry moans and Louis pinches his hip a little, leaving a mark that he can kiss later, leaving a mark that Harry can look at in the shower and remember that he got that when Louis was giving him head in _his office_. God Louis could laugh. He can’t laugh though because he has Harry’s dick in his mouth and he will finish this blowjob.

It doesn’t take long, Louis swallows Harry down completely, playing with his balls and then Harry is tugging at his hair to warn him but Louis doesn’t mind, doesn’t let go and Harry groans and then he explodes, coming down Louis’ throat with Louis’ name on his lips. Louis smirks, wiping his mouth as he swallows Harry’s salty come, enoying the taste of it more than he probably should and then he sits up at Harry’s desk again, just staring at Harry.

Harry is panting, cheeks flushed, and he is beautiful Louis thinks.

“Don’t you just love to start your days off with a bang?” Louis smirks and Harry groans, throwing a pencil at him.

“You are a menace, Louis Tomlinson.”

Louis tries to look hurt but then he starts laughing instead.

“I’m a menace, am I? Oh that’s not nice Mr. Harry Styles. You know you like this.”

Harry smirks a little, dressing himself again and Louis pouts a little as Harry’s dick disappears from his view. Harry should never wear clothes. Never.

“Maybe I do.”

“You know you do.” Louis smirks and then he jumps off the desk. “Enjoy your day, sir.”

He is laughing as he closes the door behind him, just hearing Harry’s groans.

 

\--

 

“You’ve ruined me.” Harry mumbles in Louis’ ear as they are about to sit down to dinner, both of them in the doorway just looking at Liam giving the kids dinner. Louis smirks.

“How?”

“Try working on a desk when all you can think of is… how you started the morning by said desk.” Harry says with a smirk and Louis has to clasp his hand over his mouth to not laugh.

“Oh, I’m so not sorry, Harry dear. If you want pity, you have to go somewhere else because my pity bank is closed. C-l-o-s-ed. Actually forever, it will never open for you.”

Harry grins and his fingers softly move over Louis’ arm and Louis tries, really tries to not tremble with anticipation as he feels that touch.

“Tonight. Come to my room. I will get you back.” Harry mumbles in his ear and Louis has to bite his lips as Harry goes to sit down to eat dinner.

Okay, so this could be really, really fun.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY new chapter. Okay I know it's a bit shorter but well... better this than nothing I guess? I think next chapter will be longer and a bit more angsty sorry but until then... I hope you will enjoy!

“Who wants pancakes?” Louis grins as he opens the door to the twins’ bedroom, both of them just waking up. Ashton looks up from under his blankets, blinking and looking tired but Demi jumps up.

“Me, me, me!”

“Great.” Louis winks. “Could you make me some as well? I’m starving.”

Demi pouts as she hears that.

“But Liam says I can’t touch the stove yet!”

“I’m just kidding my little pumpkin.” Louis grins and lifts her up, hugging her tightly as if he hasn’t seen her for a few days. “Liam is making breakfast. All the three of us has to do is to show up and eat. Which is what we do best, right? Ashton, what do you say, want some pancakes?”

“More sleep.” Ashton mumbles and then he is hiding under the blankets. Louis blinks at Demi.

“Should we tickle him?”

Her face lit up and she nods.

“Yes!” She whispers before both of them jump on Ashton’s bed and starts to tickle him, Ashton half screaming and half laughing.

 

\--

 

“Ugh, what is that horrible noise?” Nick groans as he tries to read through some of the papers Harry just got him. Harry smiles a little.

“I think that’s the sound of my kids laughing, Nick.”

“Horrible. It’s so early.” Nick grimaces. “It’s Louis putting them up to it, isn’t it? Well if you ask me Harry, I think he has been staying here long enough. Aren’t you worried he will have a bad influence on the kids? I mean he is so…”

He pauses to find the words, and Harry sighs a little.

“Nick, Louis has made my kids really happy and I have no plans of getting rid of him. There has been no fighting and no badmouthing and the kids are enjoying themselves in his company. I would be a fool to let him go.”

“Well if you ask me…” Nick begins but Harry cuts him off.

“I can’t remember that I did ask you.” He smiles politely. “Now, what do you think about the new idea?”

 

\--

Breakfast is served at exactly 8am and when Liam has finished serving everyone tea and coffee, Nick has already been talking about the new movie project for longer than anyone would have wished. The kids look bored and Louis is more than bored, he tries to keep himself occupied with feeding Luke some peeled grapes as he now and then glances over at Harry. Harry who is the only one looking interested, nodding as Nick says things and fill in if there’s anything he’s missed. Louis wonders if they are just talking themselves or if they actually expect him, Liam or the kids for that matter to listen. He hopes not. Louis has turned his ears off as he usually does when Nick opens his mouth and it would be horrible if anyone asked him a question.

“It will probably be a hit among the youngsters.” Nick says and sips his coffee, Louis grimacing just thinking about it. Coffee. Eugh. “Cars and love, just like I remember high school.”

“Was the car invented when you were in high school?” Liam asks innocently and Nick looks furious, and Louis has to hide behind his glass of water to not show that he is biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, to not break out in laughter. Harry looks amused too, the corner of his mouth twitching a little but he doesn’t laugh, and he doesn’t say anything either.

“Not funny, Mr. Payne. I am not that much older than you.”

“You kind of are though.” Liam says quietly when Nick has already turned around and Louis is probably the only one listening, and he gives him a silent high five before looking over at Harry, who is following Nick out of the room.

“That was funny, Mr. Grimshaw looked mad.” Ashton giggles, blueberries all over his face. Louis smiles and wipes his mouth with a tissue.

“Yes it was. Don’t tell daddy we said it was okay to laugh though you little rascal.”

Ashton’s eyes widen and he nods, looking proud of the secret before he throws himself over more blueberries.

 

\--

 

“You need to be nicer to Nick.” Harry mumbles as he meets Louis in the hallway, Louis just finished putting the kids to bed and is on his way to take a late shower. He stops as he hears Harry.

“What did I do?” He asks innocently, letting his eyelashes do their magic as he blinks towards Harry. Harry sighs.

“You know what I mean. Those comments…”

“Liam’s.” Louis corrects him. Not because he wants to blame Liam, but because that it actually was Liam saying it, not him. Harry rolls his eyes.

“It could have easily come from your mouth Mr. Tomlinson and we both know it. I just don’t think it’s appropriate that you talk like that to him. It upsets him.”

Louis wants to open his mouth and say something about the fact that Harry looked more than amused, and that if he had a problem with it he could have easily let them know before this but he doesn’t. He closes his mouth again, actually a bit surprised that Harry talks to him like this because the soft tone is gone, it is almost as if he is… acting like his boss. Louis doesn’t know why.

“I… fine.” Louis shrugs and makes a move to walk past Harry, to get to his room. Harry sighs a little.

“I didn’t mean I… well good.”

Whatever it was that Harry didn’t mean, Louis doesn’t hear because he is in his room and closing the door behind him.

 

\--

“Harry Styles is a mystery.” Louis exclaims, as Zayn and Niall roll their eyes.

“He is also really gorgeous.” Niall adds, mimicking Louis’ voice.

“And he’s got a lovely bum.” Zayn adds too, an even better impression of Louis, even with a little wink of the eyebrows that Louis seriously doesn’t know how he has already picked up on. He needs new friends. Friends that will support him and not make fun of him. But now he is kind of stuck with these two so it has to be enough, so he rolls his eyes.

“All of a sudden he is all protective over Nick.” He complains. “He’s never been like that before. Me and Liam always comments on him and teasing and he has always just thought it was funny. Now why was I given the speech?”

Niall shakes his head and pats Louis’ shoulder.

“I don’t know mate. Maybe he is trying to act professional.”

Louis frowns a little.

“Do you think he regrets hooking up with me?”

“Maybe?” Zayn shrugs. “I mean, Lou, hooking up with your nanny is kind of… sordid. And maybe he will… I don’t know. Maybe he is starting to think it’s not a good idea to risk people finding out and judging you and him just so he could get laid.”

Louis hopes the look on his face doesn’t reveal what he is feeling, he hopes he quickly looks away so neither Niall or Zayn can see how he feels about that but he must have kept the look for a few seconds because Niall grabs his arms.

“It’s not just for you. I mean. You don’t want to be just a fuck. You like him.”

Louis shakes his head.

“It’s not a big deal Ni.”

“Oh shut up Tommo.” Niall shakes his head. “We both know you have feelings for him, okay? And I don’t think you’re just a way for him to get some orgasms. I think you like each other, I saw you when we were out and he…”

“He was really drunk.” Louis fills in and gets up. He really doesn’t feel like talking about this. He doesn’t want to. He pulls his hoodie over his head, not caring about the fact that it messes up his hair. Niall and Zayn watches him, Zayn looking a little worried.

“You’re not…”

“I’m fine.” Louis says and he hopes his voice isn’t shaking or anything, that would be silly. “It was just a comment. Probably Nick putting him up to it and it doesn’t mean anything. I don’t care what he thinks. Or about what he said… I mean I…”

“Lou…”

“Don’t.” Louis interrupts him. “I don’t need the encouraging speak okay Niall? I’m fine. It was nothing. I’m just gonna go mind my own business and I have work to do so just… I’ll talk to you later or something.”

“Louis…” Zayn starts and Louis just turns his back on them both, walking to the door and leaving the flat before they can say anything else to him.

(or see the fact that there are tears forming in his eyes, but not even Louis himself wants to talk about those so it’s all better like this)

 

\--

 

“Two weeks?!”

Louis can’t not hear the angry tone in Harry’s voice. He is on the phone again and judging by how he sounds and looks, the one on the other side of the line must be Taylor. Harry talks angrily for a few minutes then, they seem to come to an agreement or Harry folds, and then his phone is dangerously close to being thrown against the wall.

“Bad news?” Louis asks carefully because he has already learn that he needs to be careful on when and how he asks Harry about Taylor or the kids. Harry looks up, and blinks a little as if he is surprised Louis is talking to him. Which fine, Louis might have been ignoring him a little lately. Not a lot, just a little. He’s kept himself busy with the kids and work and Liam, and Harry hasn’t been better either. Harry shakes his head and then he sighs.

“Taylor keeps wanting to play perfect mommy I guess. She wants the kids for two weeks now when it’s summer and I just… I don’t know. I’m afraid.”

“Why?” Louis asks, adding jokingly. “I doubt she will kidnap them or sacrifice them to a demon or something.”

He waits to see if Harry will smile and at first it doesn’t look like he will be that lucky, but then Harry smiles a little.

“No, no. I know. It’s just that it’s a long time, two weeks, and I’m afraid they will get used to her being around now and then when a new tour starts or new album or something else that seems more important she will just get up and leave again and they will once again have to get used to her never being here. I know…” He pauses a little, biting his lip. “Like I’ve said before, I know I’m not the perfect dad, far from it, but at least I live here. She’s… away.”

“I know.” Louis mumbles, not really sure what to say. Harry sighs.

“I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t be talking about this with you, you probably don’t want to listen to me. It will be fine. It’s great that she wants to spend time with them. The kids will be so happy to see her more often and for two weeks, they will think it’s great.”

He smiles, but Louis can see that it’s a forced one. His dimples don’t show for one, and there’s no spark in his eyes. Louis wants to say something but he doesn’t know what he should say, so instead he just nods.

“Yeah, yeah I guess you are right.”

“I’m right.” Harry says and then his hand is brushing over Louis’, just innocently and probably by accident but Louis freezes without even thinking about t and when Harry seems to notice, he pulls away.

“I…”

“I’ll go see if Liam needs help with dinner.” Louis quickly says and then he jumps away from Harry as if he has been burned, and before anyone of them has time to make the moment even more awkward than Louis already made it into he is gone.

 

\--

 

“Why doesn’t Mr. Grimshaw like you?” Ashton asks Louis as he helps them pack for tomorrow, when Taylor will come pick them up. Louis is buried in clothes from Ashton’s closet and he thinks somewhere Demi is crawling around on the floor trying to find her favourite pair of vans, but he can’t see her. Louis laughs a little.

“Now why would you think Mr. Grimshaw doesn’t like me?” He asks and blinks to Ashton. “Could he have a reason to not like me?”

“He was talking to mommy about you.” Demi appears from behind a pile of boxes, and she nods in agreement with Ashton. Louis frowns a little.

“Mr. Grimshaw was talking to Tay… to your mom?”

Ashton nods eagerly.

“Mhm. On the phone. Yesterday. He asked her if… if…”

“If she knew for how long daddy would keep you here. He said you were a terrible…” Demi searches for the word.

“Insurance.” Ashton tries. Louis smiles a little.

“Influence?”

“Yes!” Ashton and Demi both nods.

“What does that mean?” Ashton asks, tilting his head to look at Louis. Louis bites his lip. Part of him is amused, but part of him is also very angry that Nick is talking to Taylor about him. He sighs.

“It means… you know what, it’s not that important. Now, who wants a late night famous Louis’ sundae before bed, even though daddy doesn’t think you should have sweets this late?” He grins, and both kids jump up.

“Me, me, me!”

So okay, Louis thinks as they leave the room. Maybe he is a bit of a bad influence. But he doubts it’s for the fact that he gives the kids ice cream that makes Nick wants to get rid of him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW AN UPDATE OMG CAN YOU BELIEVE IT. No but honestly guys I am SO SORRY for not updating. Like really, I suck. I haven't given up on this story though it's just that I've been busy and lost a bit of muse for this story, but now I had a lot of extra time and managed to give you this :) this story will probably have one or two more chapters before it's finished and if you are still reading I LOVE YOU.

Louis doesn’t even think about the fact that if Taylor is really coming to pick up the kids, then there is really no need for him to be there. He can’t be a nanny with no kids to be a nanny for, everyone can see how ridiculous that would be. It still doesn’t mean he wants to think about it too because two weeks away from Harry well that’s… two weeks away from Harry. Sure, he will miss the kids and Liam as well but… Harry.

Not that it matters because Harry keeps ignoring him, or not ignoring him, but the friendly flirtyness between them is so long gone that Louis is starting to wonder if anything ever happened between them at all. He almost needs to ask Liam now and then if he hasn’t dreamed everything, because it wouldn’t have surprised him. He knows he didn’t though because sometimes, when Harry comes out of his office after working all day with Nick and Louis has just put the kids in their beds, then he is sure that Harry glances at him with eyes that clearly states that he remembers what happened.

Which means it wasn’t a dream.

Louis sighs, he is packing bags for the kids for when Taylor comes to pick them up. Demi is so excited she can’t stop jumping up and down on the bed and Louis worries that she might fall off and start the weeks with a trip to the hospital, but she also looks so happy he doesn’t have the heart to tell her to stop. Ashton is calmer, more upset about not knowing what to pack and Luke, well Luke is just sleeping and looking adorable. Between that and the two others, right now Luke is Louis’ favourite because he doesn’t have to risk him doing anything stupid as breaking a leg or having a breakdown over clothes, and he is pleased with that.

“Please Ashton, just pick all those shirts and we’ll sit on your suitcase to get it to zip close.” He says, tired and out of energy when Ashton looks close to tears. This makes Demi giggle and then she sits down on the bed, cross legged as she watches her brother.

“Can all of us sit on it`?” She asks and Louis nods, smiling again as he sees how happy they look.

“All of us, including Luke.”

It takes a bit of time to work all of it through but soon they all manage so sit on the bag, Luke in Louis’ arms and Louis isn’t sure he is quite aware of what is going on but it must look hilarious. It seems to be considering that Liam and Harry, together with Nick, all walk past the room just as they are doing this.

“Let me take a picture.” Harry quickly says while Liam is just smiling. Nick rolls his eyes and looks like this is very bad. Louis is tempted to stick his tongue out at him, but he doesn’t. He is a good employee who doesn’t do bad things in front of his boss.

Instead he poses with the kids and soon Harry is smiling brightly down into his phone as he looks at the pictures.

“Will you use it as your background picture?” Demi asks excitedly as they manage to actually zip the bag and Harry nods, patting her hair as she stands next to him.

“Yes I will, it’s the perfect picture for my phone.”

Louis doesn’t think at all about the fact that Harry will have a picture with him in it on his phone. Not at all. The thought doesn’t even cross his mind.

Only a little.

 

**

 

It’s so quiet when the kids are finally gone. Taylor picked them up early in the morning just after the breakfast crazy, the kids being excited and sad at the same time. Demi and Ashton both took turns in running and hugging everyone before they finally ran over to their mum and Louis handed over all their bags to the driver helping them into the car. Taylor doesn’t really look at Louis more than she has too, and it seems as if Nick has managed to really badmouth Louis this time.

He would care if he actually cared about Nick but he doesn’t.

It’s awkward though when they head back into the house and Louis realises they need to have the discussion they have yet to have, about where he will be these couple of weeks. He doesn’t want to talk about it though, just sits down next to Liam as he waits for Harry to say something.

It gets even more awkward though when Harry signals to Liam that he should leave the room so they can talk, and Louis is left alone with Harry. He shouldn’t be nervous but he can feel his heart racing and he has to swallow.

“So…” Harry says, and Louis lets out a little nervous laugh.

“So, guess I should get going, huh? I mean until the kids come back because who needs a nanny when there’s no kids, right? I should…” He doesn’t know what he should and he stops because Harry is shaking his head. His hair is getting longer and Louis loves it, wants to run his fingers through it but of course he can’t do that. He swallows instead.

“Actually… uhm…”

“What?” Louis asks, biting on his lower lip hard enough for it to draw blood because he has no idea what Harry will say. Maybe Harry will say that it’s better if he doesn’t come back at all. Maybe Harry will fire him. That would just be the perfect thing to happen right now. Or not.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to stay.” Harry whispers, and his voice is really quiet now. He meets Louis’ eyes though, doesn’t look away and Louis can’t look away even if he wants to because he is stuck in Harry’s eyes.

“Stay?” Louis asks, not sure why he starts to argue this because he would be lying if he said he didn’t want to stay, he really want to stay. “But I mean, the kids…”

Harry takes a step closer, then as if he realises what he is doing he quickly takes a step back. They both look at each other nervously and Louis wonders why this happened, why it became so weird between them. He almost misses the casual flirting they did before they hooked up, because at least things weren’t complicated then.

 _That’s because you weren’t in love back then_. The tiny voice in the back of his head says, but he pushes that little voice away because nope, he will not think about that right now.

“I know.” Harry murmurs and his voice is so low, and so deep, and Louis thinks it’s unfair. “But I thought… I mean, Liam could probably use some help around here and… I could… or I mean, we never know if the kids just… come back and…”

Louis raises an eyebrow. He can’t help the amused smile spreading on his lips but Harry looks adorable, there’s even a slight blush spreading on his cheek and suddenly Louis feels much better about everything. Harry wants him to stay. Harry wants him here. And it feels like Louis isn’t the only one who feels like a fool in all this.

“Do you want me to stay Mr. Styles?” He asks with a little smirk, suddenly feeling as if he’s in charge again, like he will decide what will happen and that is much better than when he felt like everything happened without him having any say in it. Harry blushes even harder at that, biting his lip and for the first time avoiding Louis’ eyes, as if he can’t really look at him and talk at the same time.

“I… well… yes.” He finally manages to say and Louis’ heart does a little flip he did not allow it to do. It does it anyway. Louis smiles big.

“Okay, I will stay. I mean, it’s kinda nice to be around you guys.” He gives Harry a teasing smile and he can almost see how Harry’s whole body relaxes, as if he’s been all tense and nervous up until now.

“Good.”

 

**

 

Nick looks as if someone kicked him in the balls when he walks into the kitchen to find Louis up on the counter, swaying his legs and laughing at something Liam just said.

“What are you doing here?” Nick spits out, glaring at Louis as if he is the most foul and unholy thing that has ever been seen in the world. “I thought you’d be gone by now. I mean there are no kids around.”

“Only you that act like one.” Liam blinks, which has Louis snorting in his glass of juice.

“I asked him to stay Nick, I think it’s only nice to have him around and if not the house would be awfully quiet, don’t you think?” Harry asks, he is sitting by the table and reading the morning paper and he looks up as if he can’t understand why Nick is being so sceptical about all of this. Louis wonders if Harry really is blind to the way Nick obviously feels about him. He is so naïve.

“Quiet is nice.” Nick hisses. “Quiet is what makes us do a good job, Tomlinson is what ruins the spirit.”

“Aw, Nick don’t be like that.” Louis says with a little pout, jumping down from the counter and pats Nick’s back, before handing him a glass of juice. “Drink some juice, pineapple and orange. Pineapple are great for you, I mean if you’re getting head the pineapple makes your cum…”

Nick makes a little offended sound.

“Mr. Tomlinson!”

“What?” Louis innocently bats his eyelashes at Nick. “Oh, I’m sorry, I guess it’s not something you have to think about, can’t be that many that wants to…”

“Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson!” Harry interrupts which is probably a good thing because Nick looks close to exploding, even worse than what he usually looks like when Louis is in the room and Liam looks ready to die from laughter. Louis will never get tired of this. He will never, ever in his life get tired of watching Nick suffer like this. It is the best thing in the world.

 

**

 

It’s getting late when Nick finally leaves. He’s kept Harry inside the office all day and with Liam being out running errands and then meeting up with friends, Louis had been awfully bored. Mostly he’s been on the sofa, watching different tv-shows on his tablet and now he sighs, turning it off when Harry shows up.

“Exhausting doing nothing?” Harry asks with a little smile, leaning against the doorway. His tie is loose and he’s got the white button-down shirt loosely hanging around his hips, not properly tucked into his black trousers like he usually has it. He looks amazing. Louis sighs dramatically again.

“If only you knew.” He says with another dramatic sigh as if to really show just how awful it is. “I’ve watched so many episodes of Homeland, I can’t even remember what happened anymore.”

“Poor Louis.” Harry whispers, and then he walks closer to the sofa where Louis is sitting and Louis doesn’t think about it until Harry sits down, hand resting on Louis’ thigh. “Is Liam out?”

The feeling of Harry’s fingers on him has Louis going crazy within seconds and it’s so pathetic Louis actually wants to cry. But he nods, biting his lip and wonders what Harry’s plan is, hoping he isn’t misunderstanding the look on Harry’s face. It looks as if he has a plan, and it’s not just for conversation.

“Just us.” Louis mumbles, and Harry nods in agreement.

“I was hoping that was the case.. so… I know I’ve been…”

Louis doesn’t even stop to listen to what it is Harry’s been because he doesn’t need any explanations. He grabs Harry’s tie, tugging him closer until their lips are crashing together. Harry lets out a surprised muffled groan, but his eyes close before Louis’ does and then they are kissing, kissing as if that’s all they should have been doing these last couple of weeks instead of walking on eggshells around each other. And Louis agrees, he agrees so bad because god, kissing Harry is the best thing he has ever experienced. His tongue is eager and wet and hot and it swirls inside his mouth, Louis almost having trouble keeping up as both of them desperately try to touch each other. Louis’ dick twitches in his jeans, coming to life under Harry’s touch and it’s greedy, he wants him so badly in any way he can.

“The thing you told Nick…” Harry mumbles and Louis grunts, very disappointed.

“Are we going to talk about Nick, now? Seriously Hazza.”

Harry chuckles against his lips, fingers working on Louis’ zipper and Louis lifts his hips eagerly off the sofa so that Harry can pull his jeans down.

“No, I was just… the pineapple thing.” He murmurs, kissing Louis again as his fingers starts touching the outline of Louis’ hard cock through his Topman briefs. “Is it true? Does it taste… sweeter?”

Louis lets out a huff of air and nods, his dick twitching again under Harry’s fingers when he realises what Harry is asking.

“Mhm, all true.” He mumbles and with one last deep kiss, Harry is making his way down Louis’ chest, stopping before he eagerly pushes Louis’ boxers down his hips, finally releasing Louis’ aching cock. Louis has time for half a thought about if someone would come walking in on them, like Liam getting home early, but then Harry is wrapping long fingers around his shaft, stroking him as he looks up at Louis with big, lovely eyes.

Louis wants to watch him, wants to see him do this but as soon as Harry has his lips around him, Louis groans, throwing his head back as Harry’s mouth, wet and warm and so very lovely closes around his cock, taking as much of him as he can. It feels like it’s been forever since Louis got to experience something like this and that Harry is doing it, hair bouncing around him as he bobs his head, is just too good to be true.

Louis has to pinch his own arm just to see that he isn’t dreaming. But he isn’t, it isn’t a dream because Harry is still there when he opens his eyes again, and Louis moans and lets out little whimpers when he feels the head of his cock bump against the back of Harry’s throat. He doesn’t even gag, just takes it again and Louis has to touch him. He lets his fingers brush against his cheek, enjoying the way Harry’s mouth is stretched around him and how very lovely Harry looks with a mouth full of dick. He tangles his fingers in Harry’s curls, tugging at them gently when he feels pleasure pooling in the pit of his stomach and it isn’t fair how he is already this close, but then again just the view is enough to have him close to climax, the sensation is just a plus.

“Harry…” He warns, because even if Harry made it clear that he wanted to taste, he still feels like the polite thing to do is to warn Harry that he will come soon, and if Harry wants to change his mind about all of this now would be the time. “Harry… Harry I’m going to…”

Harry just keeps going though, even faster and he sucks eagerly, hard and Louis can’t help it, he cries out loud enough that he is worried the neighbours will hear him before he comes, shooting down Harry’s throat with a gasp. Harry swallows as much as he can, only some of Louis’ cum dripping down his cheek as it slips out the corner of his mouth and Louis gasps, trying to remember how to breathe when he comes down from his high.

Harry smirks, looking very pleased as he sits up on his knees, wiping his mouth with the back of his mouth. Louis suddenly feels a bit exposed, spent and half naked but he doesn’t mind. Harry just gave him a blowjob on his sofa, and Louis was worried he doesn’t like him anymore.

“Was it sweeter?” Louis manages to get out, even though he doesn’t really want to think about Harry’s lips around another dick ever again. He wants it for himself. Harry smiles, crawling on top of Louis after Louis pulling his boxers up again, nuzzling his nose against his neck.

“Mmm, it was.”

They lie there for a moment or two, just being quiet as Louis’ arm lazily wraps around Harry’s drawing circles on his lower back with his thumb.

“I’m sorry I was distant.” Harry mumbles, as if he suddenly realises what it was that he wanted to say before Louis started kissing him. “I just… it’s very complicated. You and me. Us. I mean, not that there is an… but you know.”

Louis nods in agreement. He doesn’t really understand what Harry is saying, but he understand enough of it.

“I know…” He whispers, even though he doesn’t want to agree. He wants to say that it’s easy. He knows it isn’t.

“That’s why I thought… maybe, now when the kids are… that maybe we’ll have more time to talk.” Harry mumbles and Louis agrees again, even though he doesn’t want to. He is sleepy though, exhausted from his orgasm and his arms are filled with Harry and it’s nice.

“Yeah… talk.” He murmurs, hoping it will be a good talk, a talk that will make him happy.

Even though the voice in his head warns him that talks are very rarely good.

Very, very rarely.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me updating this is probably a miracle no one was expecting. i am sorry for not updating and sorry for maybe bringing this in a direction not everyone wanted hehe but... i wanted it. okay thank you all for reading and follow this and i am sorry for never updating but this is the last chapter so hi :D

“Harry, tell Liam to please stop pretending to spit in my coffee.” Nick says with a glaring eye towards Liam, and Liam rolls his eyes when he thinks no one is watching and Louis snorts into his own cup of tea, trying to hide the laughter he almost can’t hide.

“Liam, are you spitting in Mr. Grimshaw’s coffee?” Harry says with a tired voice. “Bloody hell, you people are worse than my kids, dammit.”

Louis lets out a soft giggle as Liam pouts a little, truly doing an amazing job of trying to mimic the way Demi looks when Ashton has done something stupid she wants Harry to tell him off for.

“No sir, of course not, I wouldn’t dream of doing anything like that to a respectable man like Mr. Grimshaw.” Liam says, voice soft as cotton but Louis knows that everyone in this room knows that he is pretending. He grins as he meets Liam’s eyes, and Liam hums as he keeps now and then glancing over at Nick, knowing just how much it drives Nick crazy.

“I hate you guys,” Nick mutters, getting up and out the door which just has Liam erupt in laughter and Louis has to swallow countless of giggles. Harry sighs.

“Give it a rest guys, honestly.”

Louis stops giggling, and Liam stops laughing too. Harry sounds very serious now. As he looks at them, they can see that he is.

“Really,” Harry says, shaking his head. “You are sometimes taking things a bit too far you know?”

Louis looks down. He wouldn’t care about it because Nick has clearly been out to get him, but Harry really does look a bit upset by the whole situation and well, no matter how much Nick might drive Louis insane, he doesn’t want Harry to be upset.

“Sorry,” he hears Liam mutter, to his very much surprise. Harry lights up.

“Maybe you should tell him that,” Harry’s smile is shining as bright as a star. “Go apologize. Also, maybe we should ask if Nick wants to come out with us tonight. That would be fun right? You can get to know him!”

“Ask…” Liam looks a bit pale, and Louis can’t look at himself but he is pretty sure he is looking just like Liam. “Are you serious?”

“Very,” Harry nods, before focusing on his coffee again. “I think it would be fun. Ask him. For me.”

Liam sighs. Louis knows they have lost.

“Okay, sir.” Liam grabs Louis’ arm. “I’ll take Louis with me.”

“Even better,” Harry smirks, and god, Louis knows he is going to regret this.

 

\--

 

“No way in hell.”

“Come on, Grimmy!” Louis says, and Nick just stares.

“Did you just call me Grimmy?”

“I’m not gonna call you Mr. Grimshaw if we’re going clubbing,” Louis says, and Nick rolls his eyes as he looks at Louis.

“Well we are not going clubbing. Because there is no way I would go with you.”

“Harry is coming with,” Liam mutters, glaring at Nick. “You’d want to go with us if Harry is with us, right? This whole thing was his idea.”

Nick shakes his head.

“Nope. No way in hell. I’ve got better things to do than hang out with a couple of dicks which honestly, is what you are.”

Louis sighs and then lets out a frustrated groan. There are hundreds of things he would rather be doing now than ask Nick Grimshaw to go out with them tonight, but he also know that if he doesn’t get him to go, maybe Harry will be in a bad mood and that’s not what Louis wanted tonight. He wants Harry in a very good mood and to maybe have him naked at the end of the night, which could be seriously ruined if Harry thinks they didn’t try enough to apologize.

“Please,” Louis tries again, hating this even more now. Begging for Nick Grimshaw. Seriously. “Sorry we were a bit, you know. But it’s all banter am I right mate? Me and Liam do it all the time, so come on, come out with us and just have some fun. You know how to have fun right? Or is that something you are too old for?”

He winks, and the last part seems to finish the argument because Nick glares at him with dark eyes.

“Fine. Fine. I’m coming with you but not because of you, Tomlinson, you get that right.”

Louis lets out a relieved sigh.

“Don’t worry, I never thought it was for me,” he says, and then Liam is pulling him away again.

“This will be interesting,” Liam whispers and Louis nods. Very.

 

\--

 

If Louis ever thought that taking Harry Styles out clubbing was an interesting thing, taking Harry Styles and Nick Grimshaw out clubbing is the most interesting thing he has ever experienced in his life.

He hates that he is also really having fun. He glance over to Liam now and then between drinks and it seems like Liam is thinking the same thing.

Harry and Nick are very different when they are tipsy, because Harry is sitting close to Louis as usual, very touchy feely on the way to getting proper drunk, when Nick just seems to take the drinks to his tongue which means talking even more.

He doesn’t talk about work though or the boring things usually coming out of his mouth, but only interesting things that Louis didn’t even know Nick could know or have been part of.

He hates that Harry might get the satisfaction of saying I told you so.

Soon though, Louis just needs to do something that he actually came here to do, so he pulls Harry of the chair they are sitting on, pulling him out onto the dance floor.

“Hi,” he murmurs as their arms wrap around the other, and his body moves perfectly with the beat of the music. “Did you miss me?”

Even if Harry is drunk, and even if the club is fairly dark, Louis can still see that there is a hint of blush spreading on his cheeks.

“I did,” Harry finally confesses, and it makes Louis’ heart do a little pathetic flip. “I really did.”

“Missed you too,” Louis mumbles, and he doesn’t think when his lips seek Harry’s, and it doesn’t feel like Harry is thinking either because he doesn’t mind when they do. They kiss for a moment, tongues clashing together and Louis is a bit impressed with himself that he is able to kiss this well after this much alcohol.

“You coming to my room tonight?” Harry whispers once they break the kiss. Louis nods, heart now beating as fast as it possibly can without actually breaking Louis’ chest. It’s a very good feeling.

“Yeah, if you want me too,” Louis whispers, causing Harry to nod eagerly. It’s cute, the way it looks when his curls bounce over his shoulders and his dimples seem to get deeper.

“I do.”

Louis pulls him closer, hearing Harry add.

“I kind of think I want you in my room every night. But maybe that’s a discussion we should have some other time.”

Louis’ heart stops. The whole world seems to freeze around him and it takes a while before he feels his pulse coming back and for his body to start working again.

“Wh… what?” he stammers, because fuck this, fuck Harry saying this is not a conversation they should have right here because this is something he wants to talk about. Even if they are in the middle of a club with some weird Beyoncé remix on in the background. This is something he wants to talk about. “What was that?”

Harry looks away, not meeting Louis’ eyes and well no, that’s not going to happen now. Louis grabs his chin, pulling him back to lock eyes with him.

“What was that?” he asks again softly, and for a person who was drunk just moments ago, Louis now feels very sober.

“Louis,” Harry whispers, and Louis wonders if he is close to tears. “I really don’t want to discuss this here.”

“Then we’ll get out of here,” Louis decides, and he has never pulled anyone with him this quickly before. “Come on, let’s just tell Liam and Nick we’re leaving.”

 

“No!” Liam protests. “You can’t leave me alone with him,” he hisses just to Louis, and Louis really doesn’t care.

“Sorry, this is more important. I need to talk to Harry.”

“But what do I talk about?” Liam spits out and Louis rolls his eyes.

“Anything. Liam, I need to go talk to Harry. Right now.”

Liam sighs, and Louis knows he is going to let him go.

“I understand,” Liam finally says. “But you owe me one, okay?”

Louis nods. He can deal with that.

 

\--

 

Harry is quiet the whole car ride back home, and when they make it into the house. It’s not until they sit on the bed awkwardly when he opens his mouth.

“I’m sorry,” Harry’s voice is a bit weak. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Louis shakes his head.

“No, no. Don’t say that. You should have said it. I just… I want to know what you mean. Please tell me because… you know… I want to know.”

Harry nods, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes before he starts to speak again.

“I like you, Louis,” he whispers softly. “I really like you. And I don’t want this to just be… what it has been. I want it to be more. To be… serious? I guess? But I know that’s not what… we probably should do.”

Louis can’t believe what he is hearing.

“What? Why not?” he asks, and Harry looks up, meeting his eyes with a surprised look on his face.

“Because I mean… you… I have the kids and… it’s…”

Louis rolls his eyes.

“You just have bad arguments Styles. I love those kids, you know I do. Do you really think I am in this for just the sex? I want something serious too. I like you. For real. Like, really real. I like this whole thing. I love your kids, I like Liam, I like this house. I wouldn’t do this for sex. I mean maybe in the beginning, but not now.”

Louis takes a deep breath, shaking his head for no reason at all before continuing.

“I just really like you. And if you’re just gonna come up with crappy arguments on why we shouldn’t do this, I say we stop. Because we should probably give this a try. I mean. Because I think it could be good. Us.”

Harry stares at him. Louis stares back. It feels as if they are quiet forever.

“Really?” Harry finally says, as Louis can’t help but just smile and lean forward.

“Really.”

When they kiss again, Louis feels as if he never wants this to end, ever. Hopefully it won’t.

“Wait,” Harry says, breaking the kiss. “You’re still in this for the sex as well, right? Because the sex is good and we shouldn’t waste that.”

Louis laughs hard, pushing Harry down on the bed and straddling him.

“Idiot,” he mutters, before their clothes starts falling to the floor.

 

\--

 

When Louis wakes up he feels sore in all the right places, and Harry is curled up next to him, very naked and very beautiful and Louis wonders just how long he can stare at him before it will get creepy.

Not too long though, because not only does Louis need to wee badly, but he also could really use a cup of tea and he thinks that this whole start of their serious relationship would be even better if he makes Harry breakfast in bed. That would be something.

He carefully untangle from the mess of limbs and blankets, and finds a pair of sweats to pull on as he sneaks out.

He makes it half way to the kitchen when he notices stray articles of clothing leading to the sofa in the living room that he doesn’t remember leaving there.

“Hm?” he says to no one but himself, and walks over to the living room to see what kind of madness that is actually going on.

The first thing he notice is just two naked bodies sprawled out on the rug in front of the fireplace, and Louis looks for too long and seeing far too much before he realizes who is is.

“Liam!” he shouts, covering his eyes as he notice what he is actually witnessing.

“What?” Liam’s voice is sheer panic, and Louis just needs to peek through his fingers to see what is happening. Liam is sitting up. And Louis wasn’t wrong about who is next to him.

“Uh…” Nick grunts, looking around looking very disoriented. “Where am I?”

“God, I’m scarred for life,” Louis wails, and all the ruckus seems to wake Harry who is now coming out from the bedroom. He grins as he notices Liam and Nick on the floor, now desperately covering themselves up with pillows.

“Well hello there,” Harry says, arm wrapping around Louis’ waist. “What a nice surprise.”

“You say nice, you didn’t see their dicks,” Louis mutters and Harry laughs again, kissing his temple.

“This is not what it looks like,” Nick says, he is very red and Liam is too, and suddenly Louis can’t help but laugh. This whole thing is ridiculous.

“Well no? I thought you were just practicing ancient wrestling,” Louis winks, before laughing again. “You are allowed to do that, just not in my eye sight. I am gonna make my boyfriend breakfast.”

“Mmm, like that word,” Harry says as Louis pulls him with him to the kitchen.

“Louis, don’t burn up the kitchen!” Liam calls out after them,

“Go suck a dick!” Louis shouts back before realizing what he just said. “Wait, don’t do that, unless you go back to your room and lock the damn door.”

He hears Liam and Nick saying something they can’t hear, and Harry just laughs and wraps his arms around Louis from behind, hooking his chin over his shoulder.

“Can I say I told you so?” Harry mumbles. Louis grins as he tries to find the eggs.

“About what?” he asks, and Harry smiles, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Everything?” he asks and Louis smiles.

Maybe just for today.

**Author's Note:**

> Also you can talk to me on tumblr and find the tumblr post about this fic here! [(x)](http://babygotstyles.tumblr.com/post/136601283220/all-is-fair-in-love-and-war-larry-fanfic-the)


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